2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

Intel joins forces with BMW

The BMW Group and Intel have agreed on a comprehensive partnership. It spans a strategic technology partnership for the development of BMW’s worldwide IT infrastructure as well as shared marketing activities. The technology enterprise headquartered in the USA, moreover, is to be a new partner of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, which makes its debut in 2006.

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Göschel, BMW Group Board Member for Purchasing and Development, noted: “Like the BMW Group, Intel also sets the highest standards of performance, innovation and quality for its products. For both companies, technological leadership is a fundamental goal. Our methods of systematically turning ideas into innovative products will be excellently supported and complemented by Intel’s innovative technology and highly efficient solutions. This partnership stands to benefit our IT, our customers and our Formula One team.”

Eric Kim, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Intel, said: “This comprehensive agreement brings together two of the most admired and innovative brands in the world. Intel’s technology and BMW’s prowess in the automotive sector are a powerful combination. Intel and BMW intend to collaborate heavily on the IT technology and marketing side as our brands are very dynamic and innovative. With Intel as the Official Corporate Partner of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, the Intel brand will reach hundreds of millions of passionate fans worldwide each year – fans who appreciate the critical role that technology plays in Formula One. Intel will infuse the BMW Sauber F1 Team with its technology – technology that we believe will support the team’s performance.”

“Formula One,” added BMW Motorsport Director Prof. Dr. Mario Theissen, “is a high-tech discipline. It demands the control and coordination of hundreds of parameters simultaneously and the precise execution of every step. Cutting-edge technology is a crucial success factor, and BMW has accepted the challenge. We are delighted that a strong partner such as Intel has done likewise in collaboration with us.”

As part of this long-term strategic technology partnership, BMW – with Intel’s backing – will implement a global standardisation of its IT infrastructure in BMW data centres and equip its franchise partners and facilities around the world with innovative IT systems.

In addition to these measures, BMW will support the increased mobility of employees throughout the Group with laptops featuring Intel® Centrino® mobile technology systems, as well as extending the use of Intel-based PDAs.

The two companies have also agreed on the joint development of an open standard for the integrated operation of mobile devices (including mobile phones, portable music players and PDAs) in vehicles built by the BMW Group.

The BMW Sauber F1 Team and its new partners will be presenting the new team in Valencia, Spain on January 16-17, 2006.
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Regarding the single tyre supplier.

Having two suppliers means that both will push the tyres to the limit to get more grip out of them and as a result can lead to unsafe tyres.

Having one manufacturer means that they can make the tyre safer/stronger, it will be a little slower but everyone has the same tyres so it won't matter much.

Does that make any sense?
 
Former F1 Top Spender Calls for Radical Budget Cuts

Ferrari has called for a radical cut in F1 budgets.

After a long period in which it was the best financed team in pitlane, the Maranello outfit is enduring a decline. Mother backer Fiat is in dire straits, big sponsor Vodafone is about to leave for McLaren, and the Italian team's worst year in the Schumacher era struck in 2005.

Technical director Ross Brawn said Toyota's budget is around the $500m mark, and it was recently revealed that Honda spent even more than that during the year.

''We need to make sure $100m is a more than adequate budget to compete and win in F1,'' the Briton told Autosprint.

Nonetheless, Brawn reckons work at Ferrari this winter has never been as fever-pitched. Work is not only going into the car, tyre and engine, but 'improving the organisation of the team'.

He added: ''The lesson we've learned from 2005 is that we need to have a more aggressive approach.''
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So now they're no longer the biggest spenders and they're budget has been mashed due to Fiat goes deaddeybyes..."if we can't spend it - no one can" mentality comes in.

Sorry - Ferrari you brought this on yourselves. Spend that much and people will spend more - now you can't match them and cry foul..
 
Busy Time for McLaren Painters - Orange, Then Red

McLaren is to paint its winter test cars orange, in a precursor to a red race livery that it will adopt in 2007.

Although orange is the Woking based team's traditional colour, Ron Dennis' camp usually tests in the familiar silver and black livery, a trademark of the West and Mercedes linkup.

But with the cigarette sponsor now gone, and a mammoth Vodafone deal ready to roll at the end of the mobile giant's Ferrari contract, McLaren will start work on integrating Vodafone's colour red with its own image.

Dennis refused to reveal any financial details of the ten year deal, but estimates put it at about $50m per year for five years, with a full review in 2011.

He grinningly told the Financial Times: ''We bank with HSBC and when we gave them the details (of the deal) they weren't exactly crying.''

Vodafone, meanwhile, confirmed that it would not be moving away from the colour red in the next year.

It also said that it would spend on McLaren around the same ($40m a year) as it is at Ferrari.

''But (we have) many more rights and flexibility (with McLaren) to build our brand for the future,'' marketing officer Peter Bamford explained in Woking.

A title sponsorship at Ferrari was impossible due to the Maranello team's plans to drop every backer except Marlboro at the end of formula one's tobacco era.

Dennis, meanwhile, said the V8-powered winter cars will remain orange until the race livery is unveiled in February, even though McLaren will tackle '06 without a title sponsor.
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Hmmm....not sure the cars will be red in 07 - I'd go with silver and red like the Vodaphone sponsored Mercedes DTM cars.

However the orange is the traditional colour for McLaren - they're run it in testing before. Possible the best colour for McLaren as well.

Simon/~Flibster
 
Dennis wants F1 season shortened

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has called for a shorter Formula One season to avoid over-exposing the sport.

The 2005 championship featured 19 races, with the same amount scheduled for next year, but Dennis believes 17 races should be the maximum.

"Just like individuals burn out, the public needs to have a break and then you rebuild expectation," he said.

"We have football saturation at the moment and we should avoid putting ourselves in the same situation."

The 2006 Formula One season starts in Bahrain on 12 March and ends in Brazil on 22 October.

There are no new races after Turkey joined the schedule in 2005 and Bahrain and China made debuts in 2004.

And Dennis added there must be three clear months with no races while Italy and Germany should not host two Grands Prix a year.

"There is an argument that says we should be appealing more to those markets that fully embrace motor racing," he added.

"There is a very strong German market for motor racing so that should justify two German Grands Prix.

"For me, I think they should be alternated between the Nuerburgring and Hockenheim and we should be trying hard to keep the numbers to 16 or 17 races.

"If you ask me, do I want to race in Italy twice or once in Italy and once in Russia, to me it's a no-brainer.

"We are in a world championship, we shouldn't be rejecting Russia over having two races in Italy."
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Completely agree with the reasoning about Italy and Germany - there's no reason why the European GP shouldn't be travelling around Europe again.

As for Italy - keep Monza *if you can with the noise order they've been slapped with* and ditch Imola.

Simon/~Flibster
 
OK, been offline all day so all the comments are going to have to be in one post...

Ferrari complaining about budgets - tough, no sympathy. As Flibster's said if you spend big so does everyone else, if you run out of money why should anyone else care?

McLaren + Vodaphone - yup it'll be red and silver a-la DTM, bit of a no brainer really. Orange test cars, it's almost traditional when McLaren have a major sponsorship change that they go for Orange. Thinking about it though other than traditional McLaren orange I can only think of the team having 3 1/2 different liveries - Yardley, Marlboro and West, the half being Keke's one off Marboro Lights MP4/2C. It does bring on a major problem as far as I'm concerned though, I have an almost complete collection of 1/18 scale model McLarens from 1988 onwards, this means I'll likely end up with 4 2007 cars :eek:

Shorter season - go for it. 20 plus races is OK for IRL or the like where all you have to do is keep the car in one piece but when you're developing and racing a dynamic design the guys in the team don't get a chance to rest. Agree with the sentiment on 2 races in Germany and 2 in Italy, there's no need. I actually quite like Imola but it has to be Monza for an Italian GP, Imola would be fine as a once in a while venue for a Euro GP, along with the Nurburgring, Jerez, Paul Ricard etc
 
Here's a good pic of the Vodafone Mercedes CLK DTM car

CLKDTM.jpg


I could live with the McLarens looking like that. Not as nice as the current scheme - but still looks good. :D

Simon/~Flibster
 
rpstewart said:
McLaren + Vodaphone - yup it'll be red and silver a-la DTM, bit of a no brainer really. Orange test cars, it's almost traditional when McLaren have a major sponsorship change that they go for Orange. Thinking about it though other than traditional McLaren orange I can only think of the team having 3 1/2 different liveries - Yardley, Marlboro and West, the half being Keke's one off Marboro Lights MP4/2C. It does bring on a major problem as far as I'm concerned though, I have an almost complete collection of 1/18 scale model McLarens from 1988 onwards, this means I'll likely end up with 4 2007 cars :eek:
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McLaren always have managed to get very loyal sponsors - seem to have even been very clever or very lucky over the years.

With the Vodafone being apparently worth $50million+ over 5 years and maybe longer they've picked up another great title sponsor.

Complete collection of 1/18th? I though I was bad with the 43rd scale Lotii that I've got. Thats a lot of large scale cars...How much space do you use for them?

rpstewart said:
Shorter season - go for it. 20 plus races is OK for IRL or the like where all you have to do is keep the car in one piece but when you're developing and racing a dynamic design the guys in the team don't get a chance to rest. Agree with the sentiment on 2 races in Germany and 2 in Italy, there's no need. I actually quite like Imola but it has to be Monza for an Italian GP, Imola would be fine as a once in a while venue for a Euro GP, along with the Nurburgring, Jerez, Paul Ricard etc
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Don't forget Donnington. :D One of the best races in years was there.
Wouldn't mind having Estoril back either.

Simon/~Flibster
 
Nice collection - distinctly Ikea cabinets. ;)

Just got 4 shelves of Lotii. Pretty much all 43rd scale - anything larger I don't have the space for sadly.

Simon/~Flibster
 
RBR2: it's a very sexy looking thing, says Coulthard

Red Bull Racing's Ferrari-powered RB2 turned a wheel for the first time today, when it completed day one of a two-day test at Silverstone.

Driven by David Coulthard, the new car completed a limited number of laps of the 5.141km track, as the team carried out a series of system checks on its new package ahead of its official launch in March 2006.

Although today's test was not the first for the Ferrari V8 engine, which has already completed a number of circuit kilometres, it was first for the Red Bull Racing / Ferrari combination.

David said, "Testing the new car today was momentous, as it represents something completely new for the team. The engine was delivered from Italy, but then everything has been built around it, and this was the moment when all the newly created parts came together. The lines of the new car look as though they've been inspired by the Formula Unas, it's a very sexy looking thing!

"In terms of driving experience, the car performed as expected on track and I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces tomorrow and throughout next year to see what it can do. As soon as you drive a new car you have a new toy to play with, so the old one quickly becomes very uninteresting!

"Testing a new car can be frustrating at times, as you're finding out if the new designs are able to withstand intense vibrations and heat. However, when everything works well, it's incredibly rewarding so it will be good to get back in the car tomorrow. It must be a very proud moment for everyone in the team, as they've each played a part in creating something new here."

David will be at the wheel again tomorrow (Friday) for the second day of the test. The Red Bull Racing and Ferrari technicians worked closely together throughout the day, demonstrating the positive relationship that has developed between the two marques over the last few months.

Technical details of the car are due to be released at the car's official launch on 9 March 2006 in Bahrain.
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Flibster said:
So now they're no longer the biggest spenders and they're budget has been mashed due to Fiat goes deaddeybyes..."if we can't spend it - no one can" mentality comes in.

Sorry - Ferrari you brought this on yourselves. Spend that much and people will spend more - now you can't match them and cry foul..
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A lot of the Ferrari fans I've seen post at various places agree with you that all this is highly hypocritical!!!! (Me included).

Sure, I agree with the concept of saving costs. I agreed with it in the past. The whole hypocripsy of it all is what stinks.

To be fair, Ferrari did start talking about cost saving a bit last year, when FIAT was already going bad, and at that time Toyota had overtaken them as the big spenders. But, now with the whole fallout of Vodafone buggering off in 2007, I guess things just got a bit more urgent.
 
ROFL at ITV-F1.

This is how BBC reports yesterdays testing.

"Schumacher sets pace in testing"

This is how ITV-F1 reports the same day.

SCHUEY IN A SPIN

Why aren't I suprised ITV went for the more sensentional, tabloid, anti-"that damn German" approach ;) :D



BTW, nothing else to read into those stories. Testing is testing, and the times are meaningless (though perhaps it seems MS is a bit keener this coming year to get his WC back).
 
Williams undecided on eleventh F1 team

Williams have revealed that its not just the Midland team that is standing in the way of an eleventh team, Super Aguri, entering F1 next season, as they too haven't said yes.

In order for the Super Aguri team to make its debut in 2006, the team needs all ten of its rivals to agree to its entrance. But while some teams have said no - Midland is believed to be one of those - others have still to decide.

A spokesman for Williams told Reuters that the Grove team's decision is pending as they are first waiting for more details about the new team's viability.

However, the spokesman added that the team has "not said no" he added.

"We have just asked for more information that they are viable, have funding and are not going to appear and disappear."
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rpstewart said:
101_5356.jpg
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I still have my 50+ 1/18 scale car collection in boxes after we moved house 6 months ago, still need to find the time to put them in cabinets like yours :o

I actually like the red and silver of the McLaren but you are right it isn't as good as this years.

As for Ferrari, they are already starting to annoy me and the season hasn't even started yet :mad:
 
Michelin maintain FIA fume - 16 December 2005

A day after vowing to quit the sport at the end of 2006, Michelin has again aimed fire at F1's governing body, FIA.

In a parting shot, the French marque's boss - Edouard Michelin - vaguely suggested that recent rule changes, like the re-introduction of tyre changing at pitstops, is designed to help Bridgestone back to form.

He also told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper: 'The FIA's position changes depending on situations, and reflects a ... lack of transparency regarding the reasons for some choices.'

Bridgestone shod Michael Schumacher, however, denied that a return to the 2004 tyre rule will necessarily wave a magic wand over Ferrari's dire recent pace.

The German said at Jerez on Thursday that the red team's lack of pace had 'nothing to do' with the now axed one-tyre-per-race ruling.

He admitted: 'Up to a certain level (the 2006 rule) can help, but it cannot make us world champions.'

One of Japanese supplier Bridgestone's new teams - Williams - might also benefit from the rule change, but lead driver Mark Webber stopped short of welcoming Michelin's exit.

In fact, he bluntly told Autosport: 'It will be [edit]poo[/edit] without tyre competition - but it happens.

'They have been driven to pull out and it is very sad.'
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