2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

Flibster · 12 Dec 2005 at 13:20

Renault crowned world champions in Monaco

Yesterday evening in Monaco, the Renault F1 Team and Fernando Alonso were presented with their trophies at the FIA prizegiving.

During the FIA Prizegiving Gala, held yesterday in the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting d’Ete in Monte Carlo, attended by His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco, FIA President Max Mosley, and representatives from throughout motosport and the international press, the Renault F1 Team was officially crowned World Constructors’ Champions while Fernando Alonso, the youngest champion in history, received the trophy for winning driver. To mark the occasion, a Renault F1 car was suspended vertically on the stage to salute the team’s performances.

All Champions of World Motor Sport, in championships organised by the FIA, attended the exceptional Gala, an annual event that mixes glamour and celebration. Managing Director Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso represented the F1 World Champion team on stage. Having received their trophies, they are now both officially world champions.

Flavio Briatore: “This tribute is very important to us. Since Renault returned to F1 in 2002, we have improved step by step, and finally won both championships through our hard work. Personally, I am delighted. But this is an award for the whole team. More than 800 people worked tirelessly to allow Renault to fight at the front, and a whole family of partners supported us. This is their trophy.”

Fernando Alonso: “I look at this trophy and say to myself that one day, when I have children, I will be able to tell them that I was World Champion! It represents the work of a whole team, and the achievement of a dream. We had to fight to win this, and I am proud to have done so. Hopefully, this is just the start. I am only 24 years old and I hope to come back on this stage many times in the future, to receive this prize. At present, I have achieved my ambition and I need to find new challenges now. 2006 will be one of them. This title has taught me that the most important thing in life is to be happy. Today, I really am.”

Well..not exactly yesterday - the event happened on Friday night.

Dutch Guy · 12 Dec 2005 at 13:35

I thought 20k rpm was already achieved by Cosworth :confused:

Flibster · 12 Dec 2005 at 14:46

Fisichella becomes a team owner

Giancarlo Fisichella will join forces with Coloni Motorsport to run a team in the GP2 series next season.

The Renault star’s Fisichella Motorsport squad, which he co-owns with his manager Enrico Zanarini, won the Italian Formula 3000 title this year with driver Luca Filippi.

Now FMS is set to make the step up to GP2 – the feeder category to F1 – by forming a joint venture with existing GP2 team owner Paolo Coloni.

The self-styled ‘Italian superteam’ will be called Fisichella Motorsport International and aims to topple the rival ART outfit, which won this year’s inaugural GP2 championship with Nico Rosberg.

“I am very excited about this new team, a partnership that myself and the Coloni family wanted very much,” said Fisichella.

“I am sure that we will carry on the excellent work we started last year in the Italian F.3000 Championship.

“I am confident that the GP2 team will enable us to achieve important international goals.”

Flibster · 13 Dec 2005 at 14:59

Honda Racing F1's new wind tunnel

As Honda Racing F1 Team’s new full-scale wind tunnel nears completion, the team’s official website, BARHondaF1.com, took the opportunity to talk with Graham Miller, the Director of Wind Tunnel Operations and Support Services. Miller provided a progress report on the all-important wind tunnel project and gave an insight into the significance of aerodynamics in the design of a modern Grand Prix car.

How important is aerodynamics to a modern Grand Prix car?
Aerodynamic development of cars has become paramount in Formula One; it has been big news in the sport ever since Lotus began experimenting with race car wings back in the late 1960s. In the late 1970s the concept of ‘ground effect’ – where the entire under-body of the car acts like an upside-down aircraft wing, literally sucking the car into the ground – was developed. At that point the Formula One world really sat up and took notice and began to take aerodynamics very seriously, with teams beginning to understand the importance of wind tunnel technology. Nowadays, aerodynamics absorbs at least 15% of a typical team’s car development budget and using wind tunnels is the only way to remain at the forefront; they are one of our most important design tools.

Where is the new wind tunnel being built?
On site here in Brackley. We have demolished an existing unit to make way for the new three-storey building that will house the wind tunnel.

When did work start on the project, is it still on schedule and when will it be fully functional?
Construction began on site exactly a year ago, in December 2004, by starting to dismantle the existing factory unit to make way for our new facility. The programme is absolutely on schedule and we plan to be productively testing in July 2006.

What does a wind tunnel cost and do you need a specialist company to build it?
A full scale facility such as ours costs in the region of £30m. The wind tunnel itself is a specialist piece of kit, as is the 'rolling road' system on which the test vehicles sit, so it is a very technical and complex construction project in which the building constructor needs to work concurrently with the airline manufacturer and rolling road provider. Excellent teamwork and communication is essential in getting the project completed within the minimum timeframe.

How big are the fans and how powerful are they?
The main fan has a blade diameter of over 5m and is powered by a 3,000 horsepower electric motor, generating a torque of 32,000 ft-lb at 500 rpm. In total there are 16 rotating blades and 27 stator blades – non-rotating blades that are a structural part of the fan construction. This fan will move around 1000 m3 of air per second so we'll be getting wind speeds of 80 metres per second in the test section!

What else will be included in the building?
Obviously there will be the wind tunnel itself plus all its associated plant, including drive cabinets for the fan and rolling road, electrical transformers, air compressors and vacuum pumps, as well as a fully-integrated manufacturing facility. In addition, there will be a fully-equipped server room which houses the servers for the wind tunnel plus provides an essential disaster recovery facility for the site as a whole in the event that something should happen to the main server room in the main HQ building, plus a museum and a presentation suite so that we have an impressive environment in which to entertain our guests as well.

Honda Racing F1 Team already has a half-scale wind tunnel at Brackley; what are the advantages of a full-scale facility?
With good execution, the full scale tunnel will be vastly superior in terms of accuracy. It's what we call a 'closed-jet' tunnel which generally gives you a better quality of air flow. In the ongoing quest to improve the accuracy of the aerodynamic test data, the trend is towards large scale models which give better reproduction of vehicle surface features and higher accuracy. This naturally demands large-scale test sections which leads to higher capital costs and, ultimately, higher operating costs.

The existing Honda Racing F1 Team smaller scale wind tunnel is different: it has an 'open jet' configuration. As the name suggests, open jet tunnels have an open test section in which we can remove the two walls and ceiling. In principle, the jet allows the flow field around the model to relax to something close to that experienced in ‘free air’ on the track. Another advantage is that it offers increased visibility and access for the test engineer. The disadvantage with open jet tunnels is that outside forces can affect the airflow in an unpredictable way. Aerodynamic test data is not generally as accurate as that obtainable from full scale, closed jet tunnels.

The ultimate goal is the achievement of a near perfect match between the flow field generated in the wind tunnel with that in free air. To achieve this, our new tunnel features a test section with walls that can be shaped to vehicle contour and yaw angle.

Which parts will be tested in the tunnel?
We plan to test both model and full size parts within the latest tunnel, and obviously continue with scale testing in our existing facility. As with most teams, we will continue to chip away with incremental changes to improve lap times. This can involve any aspect of the car surface and typically includes the front and rear wings, the sidepods and the area immediately preceding them and, of course, the engine cover and floor.

What conditions can you simulate in a wind tunnel?
A good wind tunnel is an essential component of a successful Formula One team. They provide measurements for both downforce and drag, which have a major effect on the overall performance of the car. But I think it’s fair to say that teams are still some way from replicating a car’s behaviour on the track from inside a laboratory, which is effectively what a wind tunnel is. The major test equipment in the wind tunnel customised to work on a Formula One car is the rolling road section, which is needed to simulate the strong aerodynamic effect associated with the car moving close to the ground. The rolling road is itself within a turntable so that we can skew the car towards the wind. This has a major effect on downforce because when a car comes to a corner it will find itself at an angle. If your car suddenly drops off in downforce right when you need it, then you’re in a bit of trouble! Reproducing wind tunnel performance on the track is the key and, in the end, is what it is all about.

Is there anything that can be done in a wind tunnel that can't be done using computer software (Computational Fluid Dynamics packages)?
Far from competing with wind tunnels, CFD has made them significantly more efficient. CFD is, in essence, an equation that governs the flow of air and the effects of turbulence can also be modelled with a degree of approximation. New development parts aren’t made at random anymore – they're designed on computer and run through CFD simulations to get a feel for their effectiveness before manufacture. Aero parts then still need to be checked in the wind tunnel because the wind tunnel can give the ‘right’ results against a modelled one. Wind tunnels are also more productive when it comes to the number of planned cases developed in a given cycle. But wind tunnel time is highly expensive, and CFD is a vital tool in making sure new developments have a good chance of working before they enter the wind tunnel."

How busy do you expect the wind tunnel to be when fully operational?
Very! For the initial period we will run 24 hours a day when full-scale testing and 18 hours a day when scale testing. This is on top of the 24-hour running of the scale tunnel. The expectation is that we will move to consistent 24-hour testing in both facilities.

Will the team be employing more aerodynamicists when the wind tunnel opens?
The second tunnel effectively doubles our aerodynamic testing facilities. As part of this programme, we are recruiting a number of positions including senior aerodynamicists, wind tunnel technicians, model makers and machinists.

Is this wind tunnel the missing piece of the Honda Racing F1 Team jigsaw?
Absolutely, yes. With the completion of this facility in the summer of 2006, we will have a fully integrated site here in Brackley and all of the main building blocks required to support our World Championship ambitions.

Sounds like a nice piece of kit they're getting there.

Hopefully it will pay for itself soon.

rpstewart · 13 Dec 2005 at 15:50

Flibster said:
Sounds like a nice piece of kit they're getting there.

Hopefully it will pay for itself soon.

With any luck they'll not make the Williams mistake and make sure that it's properly calibrated before they start using it in anger.

It's also a little scary to think that the major teams are running these things 24/7, that must account for a fair chunk of the increase in cost of running a team over the last few years. I can remember when just owning your own tunnel made you a big team, now if you only have one or only a scale tunnel then your one of the minnows.

Flibster · 13 Dec 2005 at 21:51

rpstewart said:
With any luck they'll not make the Williams mistake and make sure that it's properly calibrated before they start using it in anger.

It's also a little scary to think that the major teams are running these things 24/7, that must account for a fair chunk of the increase in cost of running a team over the last few years. I can remember when just owning your own tunnel made you a big team, now if you only have one or only a scale tunnel then your one of the minnows.

The amount of money the top teams are spending on things like this is frankly scary.

I still prefer the cars from before wind tunnels though.

Which reminds me - must upload the shots of several Lotus F1 cars I got last week.

Simon/~Flibster

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:06

Bernie agrees to run Spa Grand Prix

In his London office on Monday, Bernie Ecclestone agreed a deal to take over the running of the Belgian grand prix. The F1 supremo met with Spa Francorchamps and Wallonia government officials, and they reportedly shook hands on a long term arrangement to secure the future of the historic and popular race.

The seriousness of Ecclestone's recent hint that he would become promoter, meanwhile, was bolstered with news that the bankrupt promoter of the 2005 race was also at the meeting. Presumably, Bernie requested their presence as he prepares to take responsibility for the annual grand prix.

'Het Nieuwsblad' newspaper said on Tuesday that Bernie, 75, also agreed to scrap the need for the local government to financially 'guarantee' the promoters' agreement.

Indeed, the Belgian 'Expatica' publication cited him as saying that the new Spa deal - as well as being good for him - would also 'be beneficial' to the government.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:15

Vodafone hangs up on Ferrari for McLaren

Vodafone has announced a long-term sponsorship agreement with McLaren, commencing January 2007 which will last into the next decade.

The communications giant will become Title Sponsor of the Team - 'Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' and the 'Official Mobile Partner'.

Commenting on the deal Peter Bamford, Vodafone's Chief Marketing Officer said, "We are excited about this new phase of involvement in motor racing.

"As Title Sponsor of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team it raises our association with Formula One to the ultimate level. The new agreement delivers a fantastic marketing platform; the associative rights we acquire as a result of this new sponsorship provide us with additional opportunities to continue to raise brand awareness, build brand preference and drive revenue. It will also provide our customers with unique and exciting content through Vodafone live! with 3G."

"This is only the third time for more than 30 years that the opportunity to become the team's Title Sponsor has existed," said Ron Dennis. "The status of the brand and the level of activation in support of the sponsorship were key criteria for our choice of Title Sponsor and Vodafone over-delivers in all respects. In addition, as our agreement is long-term, this provides important stability within the Team, allowing us to focus fully on our objective of winning races and Championships together. We are delighted to welcome Vodafone to the team and look forward to many future successes."

"We welcome Vodafone as the new title sponsor to the team," added Norbert Haug. "The fact that a world-renowned brand like Vodafone with such an impressive market performance has joined us is of significant importance not only for the team but also for all our world class sponsor partners. I am sure that each one will benefit from the respective activities of the other, which is a first class prospect for everybody involved."

The title sponsorship will includes branding on the cars, drivers' and pit crews' overalls and helmets and other ancillary elements.

Furthermore, there will be significant marketing activation opportunities including hospitality, merchandising, and promotional rights including access to drivers and track days.

Additional content will include Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racing news updates, test results and full team biographies, the McLaren story, exclusive Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team games, videos, ringtones, wallpapers and screensavers.

Following Vodafone's decision to drop its sponsorship of Manchester United, there was speculation that it might also drop Ferrari and pull entirely out of Formula One.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:16

FIA told to stop 'meddling'

1964 world champion John Surtees has told Formula One's governing body, the FIA, to stop 'meddling' with the sport.

The 71-year-old, today team boss for Britain's 'A1' team, called FIA regulations like the one-engine-per-two-races rule 'wrong' and believes that less restrictions might actually lead to lower costs.

'I think, if we're going to have regulations, they need to be a little more imaginative,' Surtees, who also won world championships on motorcycles, told crash.net.

He said F1's Paris-based regulator is 'constantly' making 'mistakes', such as making changes to the size of a F1 engine in a bid to increase safety.

'It is constructors who have been largely responsible for safety,' Surtees charged, adding that better engineering - not tricky FIA rules - made the modern F1 car stronger.

He also explained that F1 'needs' the manufacturers, like BMW and Honda, to develop new technology that can be 'passed on and (then) bring commercial benefits'.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:36

Super Aguri await fate

It is suggested that the FIA could be ready to rule on the team's late entry by Friday, despite the fact that all ten teams have not yet agreed to let it happen.

Reports in Autosport, meanwhile, claim that Midland's total refusal to sign the dispensation document might have been spurred on by engine supplier Toyota, who do not want to compete with yet another Honda-powered rival.

And, adding to the issue of TV money based on where a team finishes in the top ten, it is rumoured that MF1 could be scuppering Aguri's bid so as to gain access to Takuma Sato -- the prospective Leafield based team's primary target.

It is also suggested that while Ferrari initially objected to the late entry, Bernie Ecclestone has persuaded the former world champions to fall in line.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:37

Newey 'Burnt out'

Triple world champion and legend Sir Jackie Stewart reckons Adrian Newey has done the right thing in switching to Red Bull.

The Scot, who founded the Milton Keynes-based team as 'Stewart Grand Prix' in '97 before it was re-badged Jaguar, said the highly acclaimed technical head was 'burnt out' after years with McLaren.

"Adrian needs a jump start," 66-year-old Stewart told monthly MotorSport magazine.

"It happened when he switched from Williams to McLaren -- burnout then a boost."

Newey joins Red Bull in February.

rpstewart · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:38

Just seen the Vodafone deal on the BBC site - not unsurprising that Vodafone have moved to secure title sponsorship with a major team, they seem to have money to burn despite just buying a huge chunk of Turkey's mobile phone business. It's also a body blow to Ferrari who must be seeing reduced revenue from Philip Morris with the EU tobacco advertising ban, unless they have a better season in 2006 they may well be struggling to generate the same kind of income they're used to, especially if 2007 is the start of post Schumacher Ferrari.

With a 2007 start there won't be any real change to the McLaren livery for next season but we should more red on the car from 2007, it'll be interesting to see how that integrates with Mercedes silver. Given that McLaren seem to have some decent graphic designers I would suggest that it won't be unattractive.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 10:47

Been the best looking car for several years now.
Always liked the smooth lines that Newey produced with that colourscheme.

Although - the interim Williams looks very good as well - that'll change though for the next season.

Simon/~Flibster

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 11:32

Red Bull Volkswagen??

Red Bull Racing may have a deal to run Ferrari engines at the moment, but Dietrich Mateschitz's motorsport interests are becoming increasing aligned to the German Volkswagen group. Could we see Red Bull Volkswagen in the future?

Volkswagen is the only large german carmaker without a presence in F1. The Volkswagen group is made up of Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda & VW.

Skoda last week announced its withdrawal from the World Rally Championship, although in reality, they are merely transfering to a Red Bull team. Skoda will still provide cars, development and engineers for the Austrian based BRR team which is financed by Red Bull

It is clear from this that Red Bull has what amounts to a works deal in all but name and that its money is being used to build up Skoda's challenge in the WRC with the possibility that later, if the team is successful. Skoda will return as a factory team - probably still with Red Bull backing.

Red Bull also provide backing to the VW Entry in the Dakar Rally, The SEAT World Touring Car, and the Audi DTM car. VW have often been touted as the most likely manufacturer to enter F1, and the Red Bull links would be the obvious route.

Red Bull would be keen on similar partnership with Volkswagen in F1 which would allow VW to enter F1 using Red Bull money and then take over the programme if all went well, while keeping Red Bull on as a sponsor.

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 17:03

Michelin withdraws from F1

Michelin has today issued the following statement, in which it announces its decision to withdraw from F1 at the end of 2006.

Michelin has on several occasions expressed the conditions of its involvement in Formula One: Michelin considers Formula One to be a highly technical motorsport in which the tyre is a very influential component in the scope of the performance of the vehicle. The teams' freedom to choose their own tyres is essential. Therefore, competition between at least two tyre manufacturers is critical; this provides the basis for real competition between tyre suppliers which, in turn, stimulates progress for the public's greater interest.

Today, it would appear as though Formula One rules will be modified to impose a single tyre supplier.

After consulting with its loyal partners (McLaren Mercedes, BMW Sauber F1, Renault F1, Honda Racing F1) as well as with Sir Frank Williams, Michelin is now convinced that the evolution towards a single tyre supplier is inevitable. Michelin expresses its regret to see F1 lose a part of its high technology.

In addition to this new direction in F1, there are constant changes to racing regulations without warning. Such practices also make planning for the future completely impossible.

In this context, continuing to make long-term investments in Formula One no longer presents the same interest.

Michelin has therefore decided not to extend its Formula One involvement beyond the 2006 season. "This decision is the result of profound differences between Michelin's long-standing sporting philosophy and the way Formula One is managed by the regulating authorities, which no longer provide a clear and sustainable environment to justify long-term investments," commented Mr. Edouard Michelin.

"For Michelin, leaving Formula One in no way represents abandoning motorsports, to which the Michelin brand has been committed for 117 years. If F1's ways of functioning were to be significantly modified, Michelin would not hesitate in proposing its services to the different teams once again."

Michelin's withdrawal at the end of 2006 will almost certainly bring into play a single tyre supplier in 2007. In this new situation, it should be possible to verify if the FIA's vaunted advantages of control tyres are proven and, in particular, if equality amongst teams really is guaranteed.

This decision is being made public in December 2005 to respect the FIA's required notice period and to provide a maximum amount of preparation time to Michelin partners, with whom there was no firm commitment beyond 2006.

In conclusion, Mr. Edouard Michelin stated: "No matter what, Michelin will do everything possible to ensure that its partners receive the best service and the best tyres to help them win during the 2006 season, as has always been the case since our return to Formula One in 2001. Michelin would have liked to have extended its long-term Formula One involvement, because the demands of Formula One as well as the collaboration with partner teams have been such a source of progress and fruitful exchanges. Thank you to all of our partners for this."

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 17:06

FIA reacts to Michelin announcement

The FIA has today issued the following statement in reaction to Michelin's decision to withdraw from F1 at the end of 2006.

The FIA has noted Michelin's announcement of its withdrawal from Formula One at the end of 2006.

Everyone in Formula One will be most grateful to Michelin for the efforts they have made and for their courtesy in giving the necessary full year's notice.

The competing teams have repeatedly and unanimously requested the FIA to impose a single tyre supplier in Formula One. This has been agreed for 2008, but Michelin's announcement makes it probable for 2007. The teams will certainly be glad of this.

A single tyre supplier will undoubtedly make Formula One fairer, safer and less expensive for the teams but, above all, it will avoid a repetition of the problem which arose at the 2005 US Grand Prix.

How will it prevent the US GP problem? Having all the teams withdraw or masses of accidents instead?

Go back and beg Goodyear for tyres again - dump Bridgestone *as there will still be team favouritism with them* get Goodyear to sign the contract with the FIA not with the teams and have all the tyres dished out of the same truck to the same specs at random...

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 17:07

Honda reacts to Michelin announcement

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team, has expressed the team's sadness at Michelin's decision to withdraw from Formula One competition at the end of 2006. Following the announcement by Michelin earlier today, he commented:

"The Honda Racing F1 Team is saddened by the news that our tyre partner Michelin has decided to leave Formula One at the end of next season. Over the course of the past three years we have forged a very strong partnership and shared many special moments in our team's development. Whilst we believe that Michelin's departure will be a sad loss for the sport, we understand their reasons for this decision. We thank Michelin for the contribution it has made to our team and we look forward to working with the company for one final year in 2006. For our part, we will be doing everything possible to ensure that next season is the most successful yet for ourselves and Michelin."

Flibster · 14 Dec 2005 at 17:09

Intel and BMW

It is expected that Intel will sign a major sponsorship deal with the BMW team, having failed to secure a deal with McLaren. The talks with McLaren reached a very advanced stage but in the end it was decided that Vodafone was a better longterm choice for the team and so Intel is believed to have moved on to BMW which is looking for sponsorship for its new factory team.

rpstewart · 14 Dec 2005 at 19:09

Flibster said:
How will it prevent the US GP problem? Having all the teams withdraw or masses of accidents instead?

Go back and beg Goodyear for tyres again - dump Bridgestone *as there will still be team favouritism with them* get Goodyear to sign the contract with the FIA not with the teams and have all the tyres dished out of the same truck to the same specs at random...

Couldn't agree more. If the FIA is to dictate a single tyre supplier then they must hold the contract to ensure that it's the same tyre on every car but I have a nasty feeling that it'll all be wink wink nod nod stuff.

Type_R · 14 Dec 2005 at 19:54

KARTHIKEYAN STARS AT JEREZ

Franck Montagny topped the times on the second day of this week’s Jerez test, driving a Renault RS25 with a restricted V10 engine.

But it was Narain Karthikeyan who impressed most, comfortably setting the V8 pace on only his second outing with Williams.

The Indian was a full second quicker than Mark Webber as he once again staked his claim to a test seat at the Grove-based team.

Felipe Massa worked on Bridgestone tyre development and was third overall in a Ferrari F2004 with a detuned V10 engine.

Ricardo Zonta led a three-man Toyota contingent in fourth, with veteran Olivier Panis and novice Franck Perera sharing a second TF106.

Renault tester Heikki Kovalainen racked up 105 laps and was fifth fastest ahead of leading Honda Racing representative Anthony Davidson.

The sister car was driven by Honda young driver Adam Carroll, who refamiliarised himself with F1 machinery after a three-month interval.

Juan Pablo Montoya took over from Gary Paffett in the McLaren cockpit and was seventh quickest, three spots ahead of team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.

Wednesday testing times from Jerez

1. MONTAGNY Renault 1m18.793s
2. KARTHIKEYAN Williams 1m19.149s
3. MASSA Ferrari 1m19.257s
4. ZONTA Toyota 1m19.533s
5. KOVALAINEN Renault 1m19.619s
6. DAVIDSON Honda 1m20.133s
7. MONTOYA McLaren 1m20.199s
8. WEBBER Williams 1m20.199s
9. HEIDFELD BMW Sauber 1m20.334s
10. DE LA ROSA McLaren 1m20.886s

11. CARROLL Honda 1m21.555s

12. PERERA Toyota 1m21.560s
13. PANIS Toyota 1m21.677s[/COLOR]