2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

BAR Plan To Steal Secrets From Ferrari

BAR Honda have clearly stated that they will try to steal as much information about Ferrari through Rubens Barrichello as possible. BAR realise that Ferrari is quite likely the best team of all time and with their new signing, they plan to copy the Scuderia. This is what BAR Honda's Chief Designer Kevin Taylor had to say about Ferrari and Barrichello:

"The fact that Rubens has been working with the most victorious team in modern history means we'd be fools not to quiz him on what's made Ferrari so successful.

It's not just the design of the car, it's going to be on the way we operate. We'll listen to him to see if there are things we don't do that we should be doing. It will probably be the small detail stuff and that could make all the difference."

It would certainly seem that Ferrari was quite smart to keep Rubens out of the Ferrari or the BAR until 2006 as now he will not be able to inform BAR on Ferrari's most recent 2006 plans.
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New ideas for 2006 FW28

According to WilliamsF1 Technical Director the teams 2006 car the FW28 will be launched late January or very early February. After a difficult 2005 season the new FW28 will see the team move to Cosworth power and Bridgestone tyres. The new car will also incorporate several new components including a new gear box.

The move to Cosworth will see the WilliamsF1 team lose its status of a manufacturer supplied team but the WilliamsF1 team is confident that the Cosworth company is looking to succeed in 2006.

The move to the V8 format in 2006 will see Cosworth well placed as they have a long history of developing V8 engines.

Michael did admit that the success of the new Cosworth engine will be dependant on whether or not Cosworth can develop the engine over the course of the season.

Michael said: "Cosworth should be in a good position for the start of next year. Then it will depend on what they can bring to its development programme compared to the big manufacturers.

Michael added that Cosworth was looking at achieving success in their collaboration with the WilliamsF1 team. Cosworth are looking to win with their new engine.

Michael added: "Don't underestimate Cosworth's motivation. It's a strong and determined company that has taken a lot of flak, and 2006 is its opportunity to get back at the top. If (they) didn't have that attitude, we wouldn't have gone with them.'

The team will have their first opportunity to test the new V8 engine and Bridgestone tyres when the return to a "busy winter test schedule" on the 29th November at Barcelona. The team will be using a modified 2005 car.

As for the new FW28 the team is working on the design in their new wind tunnel. Michael aid that the new car could have several new features to its design.
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BRDC confirms Silverstone bids

In a letter to its members, the British Racing Drivers' Club has confirmed that it is considering nine bids regarding the massive redevelopment plans for Silverstone.

The letter, from Stuart Rolt, Chairman, and Sir Jackie Stewart, President, is shown below:

"Dear Member,

Project Hill is proceeding well and we wanted to update you on the progress.

Over the last two weeks we have had a good response from developers wanting to put in bids. The revised deadline was 28th October and KPMG have now received nine firm bids.

The Board's Project Hill Committee will meet on Friday 4th November to review the position and decide on a short list of three or four developers who will be invited to make presentations to the Committee in the near future. The Committee will then report back to the Board, hopefully at its meeting in late November. This will enable the Board to decide which, if any, of the bids meets our financial criteria and the overall objectives of the Club.

If the Board decides that one or more of the bids satisfy our objectives, it will authorise the Project Hill team to move ahead and refine a proposal, which can subsequently be assessed by the Board for submission to members for consideration. In the meantime our focus is on getting a detailed understanding of who is offering the Club the best proposal. Every bid is different and we will have our work cut out in the next three weeks to sort out the most attractive proposals."
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Newey's working at McLaren until the end of January...

Strange - as McLaren had a contract with him for 2006 - so I wonder whats happened to that?

As for other racing...Anyone want me to do a GP Masters thread?

Simon/~Flibster
 
Dutch Guy said:
What you want, maybe first see if it is interesting and then decide?

And maybe you want to watch a race for a change instead of typing all the time ;)
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Touch typing. ;)

Usually sat on my arse with the keyboard on my lap watching the tv. :D

Simon/~Flibster
 
Toyota sign Bridgestone contract

The Toyota F1 team will join Williams in switching to Bridgestone tyres from Michelin next season.

Toyota, who were fourth in this year's championship, have agreed a long-term deal with the Japanese tyre company.

Bridgestone now has three strong teams after relying on Ferrari to do the bulk of its testing in recent years.

Toyota boss Tsutomu Tomita said: "We are serious about winning in F1 and we feel the switch to Bridgestone is the best option in the medium-long term."

Bridgestone struggled in 2005, winning only the six-car US GP which turned into a fiasco after Michelin-equipped teams withdrew for tyre safety reasons.

The FIA has changed the rules for 2006, however, with tyre changes allowed again after a year in which teams were forced to make tyres last for both qualifying and the race.

Bridgestone were dominant with Ferrari in 2004, when frequent tyre changes turned races into a series of sprints.

F1 is also due to have a single tyre supplier from 2008, and possibly 2007 if an 80% majority of the sport's technical working group can agree on a package of measures by the end of this year.

Bridgestone have said it is committed to F1 while French rivals Michelin have criticised the rule changes and hinted it could quit in 2007.
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No surprise there tbh.
 
Rossi tests with Ferrari again

The will he/won't he saga that is Valentino Rossi's switch to four wheel racing with Ferrari, takes a new twist with the news that the Moto GP legend is currently testing for Ferrari.

Following claims that Rossi is considering a switch to F1 in 2005 - with some sections of the media claiming that he is to partner Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari - there was a spat of further reports and denials.

No sooner had Ross Brawn 'confirmed' that Rossi would take part in regular test for the Maranello outfit, Rossi was denying both the tests and claims that he was even switching to four wheels.

Now however, Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Rossi is taking part in three days of testing for the Italian team at Fiorano and Mugello.
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I think the report meant to say 2007 instead of 2005...

The more he's testing I'm getting the feeling that he's getting used to the cars before making his mind up - he has got enough testing miles under his belt to get a superlicence though.
 
Tell you what.....

Browsing on my XDA Exec is superb. :)

Will be doing the GP Masters thread soon.

Got a load of cool stuff together for it. :D

Simon/~Flibster
 
Formula One motor teams 'courting' Intel cash

Formula One racing teams McLaren Mercedes and BAR Honda are both attempting to persuade Intel to become a regular team sponsor, it has been claimed.

According to an EETimes report, both have separately made approaches to the chip giant in a bid to win a portion of its marketing budget.

Intel already has a connection with Formula One: its logo appears on Toyota's racing cars thanks to the team's decision to run its big-league number-crunching applications on a bank of Itanium-based machines. Last season, you'd have seen the Intel name on the nose of car.

HP sponsors Williams BMW, while Intel arch-rival AMD has its marque on the Ferrari car and gets its moniker on Sauber Petronas' cars thanks to that team's preference for Opteron-based modelling and simulation systems.

McLaren Mercedes' already enjoys the sponsorship of Sun, which also favours Opteron over Intel chippery, which might make for friction should the team indeed persuade Intel to come on board, though they're not direct competitors.

Ironically, Toyota's Formula One team website sits on top of Solaris, if the Sun logo appearing as each page's icon is anything to go by.

BAR Honda's partner line-up for the recent season was without a big-name computer hardware sponsor, so may have a more successful time courting Intel than McLaren Mercedes for that reason alone.

Meanwhile, Intel had a couple of cars running in the Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise, Queensland last month. Its cars came in second place and seventh. It was also one of the race's major backers, and even sponsored one of the turns on the track.
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'BMW Sauber F1 Team' registered with the FIA

Born in June, christened in November: the newly formed BMW Sauber F1 Team has been registered under that name with the FIA ahead of the 15th November deadline for entries for the 2006 season.

As BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen explains: "The new team name more or less chose itself. It reflects the makeup of the team – run by BMW but with a core of almost 300 Sauber employees. Plus, the 2006 car was developed by Sauber's proven engineers."

Sauber's Technical Director, the German Willy Rampf, will continue in his post at the Hinwil location. Heinz Paschen, meanwhile, remains Technical Director in Munich, where not just the engine but now the entire powertrain will be built. Walter Riedl will be responsible for coordination between the two locations in his capacity as Project Manager.

Peter Sauber is looking forward to his advisory role and welcomes the latest decisions: "It's nice to see that the Sauber name will continue in Formula One. I'm particularly pleased for Sauber's many loyal fans, who I'm sure will support the team with unbowed enthusiasm in the future. The new team's name is also an expression of the huge respect which BMW has for the employees in Hinwil."

Following the christening, it won't be long before the team takes its first steps. The BMW Sauber F1 Team will be officially presented on 16th and 17th January 2006 in Valencia, Spain, where the new car will embark on its first round of testing without further ado.

First, though, the team will start winter testing with an interim car and the new BMW P86 V8 engine. The testing programme begins on 28th November in Barcelona, Spain.
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Ferrari to develop theme park in Abu Dhabi

Ferrari and ALDAR Properties have today announced an exclusive agreement to develop an innovative and exciting Ferrari Concept in Abu Dhabi themed around the prestigious and renowned Ferrari brand.

The development will provide entertainment for the whole family and the initial concept envisages a race track, numerous rides and attractions, an opportunity to allow visitors to learn the story and history of Ferrari, to participate in Ferrari motoring activities, and to experience the Ferrari brand also through virtual simulations. Another important feature of the facility will be an advanced and sophisticated circuit where tests and driving courses will be organised, as well as races.

The concept will also include hotels, retail, residential and hospitality elements embracing the design ethics of the Ferrari brand.

Making the announcement, ALDAR's Chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh said: "Mubadala's purchase of Ferrari shares earlier this year allowed ALDAR an opportunity to forge a relationship with one of the world's leading brands. We are delighted that this opportunity has swiftly progressed into an exclusive agreement, which has arisen from the natural synergy of ideologies and objectives between Ferrari and ALDAR. This relationship will allow ALDAR to create an exciting destination within Abu Dhabi which offers something for the entire family and underlines the already strong relationship between the Ferrari Brand and the UAE."

Mr Al Sayegh concluded: "To this end, we have immediately commenced our design programme, so that we can launch the development to the world very early next year. The development will be then be constructed on a fast track, targeting a public opening in 2008."Commenting on the announcement, Jean Todt Ferrari's Director General said "The agreement with Abu Dhabi offers Ferrari many opportunities: the site will be an important attraction for fans and car lovers worldwide, whilst the structures for sportive and driving activities will have a special appeal for all Ferrari enthusiasts and pilots".

Giulio Zambeletti, Brand Development and Partners Director of Ferrari added: "Ferrari products and stores are having a great success worldwide; hence the confirmation of the enormous potential that our brand can inspire. Ferrari and ALDAR are working together with a team of professionals from all over the world, on a project that will be a dream come true."

"We are extremely excited and honoured to be working with Ferrari on what will be a world class development," added Christopher Sims, ALDAR's CEO.

"We have engaged the world's leading designers and creative talents to ensure that this great project will be worthy of the Ferrari and ALDAR brands. When completed it will significantly add to Abu Dhabi's tourism offering - without doubt it will make the Emirate a destination of choice within the region, as well as providing a strong and profitable income base for ALDAR's balanced and diversified real estate portfolio."
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The instructions were there...in German! As were 2 legs from a chair I hadn't bought...

The newly launched Midland F1 website, is sure to leave British F1 races, not to mention home-makers, more than a little confused.

The team refers to itself as MF1, which seems remarkably close to the British company, MFI, which specializes in self-assembly flat-pack furniture.

The team unveiled its basic livery and new branding in The Netherlands on Monday evening, to the consortium of sponsors behind Christijan Albers.

It's understood that as from today - November 15 - Jordan no longer (officially) exists.

MF1 will take to the track at Jerez on December 7 - let's hope that there are no screws or other important bits missing.

So much for 'off the shelf' chassis.
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Midland officially registers with FIA

The Midland Group announced today the official registration of its Formula One Team - MF1 Racing into the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship and reveals its new livery.

This livery, a combination of white, silver grey and red, has been designed to create a unique identity for the team. This classy, dynamic livery will adorn the MF1-Toyota M16 for the 2006 season and will also be used during the pre-season test programme, beginning in Jerez, Spain, in early December. The flowing new logo, a stylised "M", has been designed by the Istituto Europeo de Design (IED) in Milan, one of the most renowned European design academies.

Colin Kolles, Managing Director of MF1 Racing, stated: "November 15th, 2005, is a very important day for Midland, as it marks our official entrance into the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. As a new team, the challenge was to find the best way to graphically define our identity in the public's perception. It was a difficult exercise, but fascinating and rewarding at the same time. I think Rob Taylor, our in house Product Designer, has done an excellent job with the livery, which is powerful and distinct from any other on the grid. The logo is a striking concept created by two young Italian design students from the Istituto Europeo de Design and it was great to have been able to give them this opportunity to express themselves."
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Super Aguri waiting for FIA go-ahead

The deadline for entries in the 2006 Formula 1 world championship passed on Tuesday amid uncertainty over the status of the mooted 11th team.

Honda intends to field a second-string squad run by Japanese former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, but it is not clear whether plans are sufficiently advanced to enable it to compete next season.

F1’s governing body the FIA confirmed that it has received an application from Super Aguri Racing, but will not publish the final list of entries until early December.

Four teams on the current grid – BAR, Sauber, Jordan and Minardi – have applied for name changes.

Sauber will be rechristened BMW Sauber F1, Jordan will become Midland F1 and Minardi will morph into Squadra Toro Rosso.

BAR has yet to reveal what it will be known as now that it is wholly owned by Honda, but the new title is bound to have a closer association with the Japanese car giant.

Honda has committed to supplying engines and technical support to the proposed new outfit, but under the current rules teams must manufacture their own chassis – a serious stumbling block given the tight timescale before next season gets underway.

The new squad may be able to circumvent this rule if it can secure the agreement of the teams and the FIA.
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New sponsor for Midland F1

MF1 Racing, the Formula One team owned and operated by The Midland Group, is pleased to welcome Metris as official industrial supplier to the team for the 2006 season. Colin Kolles, Managing Director of MF1 Racing, and Bart Van Coppenolle, CEO of Metris, finalised the deal today.

Metris will supply MF1 Racing with high technology optical measurement systems for dimensional quality control, testing and reverse engineering. These systems will enable the team to speed up the R&D processes it uses to fine-tune their F1 car for optimal car geometry for aerodynamics and torsional analysis for improved driving stability, as well as ensure compliance with the regulations set out by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The dimensions of an F1 car's bodywork are subject to strict regulations with respect to height, distance, shape etc., and the Metris systems will expedite race preparation and assist the team in optimising their cars' specifications.

"Metris is very proud to be an official industrial supplier to the Midland team," commented Bart Van Coppenolle, CEO of Metris. "It is both a great honour and a major responsibility for us to work together with MF1 Racing and to accompany its high-profile entry into the highest level of motorsports. Formula One activities are an excellent platform on which to showcase breakthroughs for emerging technologies such as the Metris' optical metrology solutions to commercial automotive manufacturers."

Colin Kolles, Managing Director of MF1 Racing, says: "The co-operation between Metris and MF1 Racing is progressing very well and we are pleased to confirm this partnership for the 2006 F1 season. Having a team partner like Metris matches perfectly with our goal of continuous improvement and we look forward to advancing up the grid with their assistance."

Metris has a long history of Formula One partnerships, supplying systems to major F1 teams which have utilised Metris solutions during R&D, testing and production. The FIA has also installed a Metris system to perform legality checks on the dimensions of F1 cars during every Grand Prix race.

Metris is also supporting Jeffrey van Hooydonk, an ambitious Belgian race driver who will test for MF1 Racing on the Spanish racetrack of Jerez in the second week of December.
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Official China and Japan swap dates in 2006

The FIA made the following announcement on Wednesday morning

Following the agreement of the two national sporting authorities, the FASC (Federation of Automobile Sports of the People’s Republic of China) and JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation), and with the approval of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, the dates of the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix have been swapped.

The new dates for the events will be as follows:

1 October, 2006 Grand Prix of China

8 October, 2006 Grand Prix of Japan
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Revised 2006 F1 calendar
Code: 
[b]Date	Race		Circuit 	[/b]
12-Mar	Bahrain		Bahrain International Circuit 	
19-Mar	Malaysia	Sepang 	
02-Apr	Australia	Melbourne 	
23-Apr	San Marino	Imola 	
07-May	Europe		Nurburgring 	
14-May	Spain		Barcelona 	
28-May	Monaco		Monaco 	
11-Jun	Britain		Silverstone 	
25-Jun	Canada		Montreal 	
02-Jul	United States	Indianapolis 	
16-Jul	France		Magny-Cours 	
30-Jul	Germany		Hockenheim 	
06-Aug	Hungary		Hungaroring 	
27-Aug	Turkey		Istanbul 	
10-Sep	Italy		Monza 	
17-Sep	Belgium		Spa Francorchamps 	
01-Oct	China		Shanghai 	
08-Oct	Japan		Suzuka 	
22-Oct	Brazil		Interlagos
 
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Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association goes on-line

The Grand Prix Manufacturers Association (GPMA), the group of manufacturers behind a possible breakaway series, goes on-line today.

The website sets out to outline the aims of the Association, and also to answer various questions that race fans might have. Indeed, fans are encouraged to give their feedback.

http://www.gpma-online.com
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