This very cool looking creation is a concept Formula 1 car produced by Ferrari’s in-house design team. They did it for no other reason than to make an F1 car that looks good. So, what do you reckon, have they succeeded?
Let us know what you think below and Ferrari would like to hear from you too.
The Alfa Romeo 4C has just arrived in Australia and reports suggest the beefier local-spec has not deterred buyers.
“The dealers say they are sold (but) we don’t know the extent,” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia’s new president and CEO Pat Dougherty claimed. “Sometimes (the dealers) say they are sold and they may or may not be, but I think they are pretty much sold.
“The demand for them is probably going to exceed the supply for us for the next couple of years.”
The 4C hits the market with a list price of $89,000 for basic spec or $109,000 for the limited-run Launch Edition. Tougher crash regulations mean Australian-delivered models weigh 130kg more than their Euro counterparts. That brings the car’s unladen weight to 1025kg.
[Source: GoAuto]
Sebastien Ogier won Rally Sweden on the weekend, but this was not just any rally win. It was one of the most exciting finales to a WRC event we have been lucky enough to see. And the final deciding stage was live on television.
Going into the last special stage, a power stage offering bonus championship points, Andreas Mikkelsen held a narrow lead from Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville. All three drivers had led the rally at various stages over the weekend.
Neuville was the first of the three leaders to go and did his part by setting the fastest time, more than five seconds faster than Mads Ostebrg’s previous best. Next was Ogier and in that 16km final stage we saw what he is made of. The dual world champion was blistering and went 4.8 seconds faster than Neuville. Wow!
The pressure was on the young shoulders of Andreas Mikkelsen, could he defend his lead and claim his maiden WRC victory?
Alas for the 25-year-old Norwegian he made a small mistake about two-thirds the way through the stage. Like many before him during this event, he ran a fraction wide on a corner and was sucked into one of the soft snow banks. There was no damage to his car, but the 40 seconds he lost relegated him back to third place, behind Neuville and eventual winner Ogier. It was a cruel blow and ended hopes for what would have been a very popular win.
With his second win from two races Ogier is already building a sizeable gap in the championship; he has 53 points and leads Mikkelsen and Neuville, both on 30 points.
The next rally will take place in Mexico in around three weeks from now.
Reactions to the recent news that Australian-based Formula 1 fans can now only see a full season of live races on pay television have been mixed. Those critical of that decision won’t be at all surprised to learn that global television audiences for F1 are in decline. However, what may surprise is that TV revenue is up.
In 2008 the global television audience was measured at 600 million, since then it has dropped to around 70% of that figure or down to 425 million viewers. The decline has been steady around the globe with the United States registering a minor 10% increase last year.
The sport’s administrators can point to the increased licensing fees pay TV networks are willing to pay; there was US$797.5 million in the F1 kitty last year, of which 63% is divided among the teams in prize money distrubution.
Formula 1 has been notoriously slow to embrace new technology and alternate media streams. Its apparent reliance on television rights as its main source of revenue supports that claim. At some stage, though, F1 will have to increase its viewing numbers; those pay TV networks will want a return on their investment. If that’s not forthcoming then the whole house of cards could come falling down.
You sense an increase in viewing numbers is unlikely to happen while Bernie is in charge, who syas things are still “working all right. We are still getting very good TV coverage. It just means that we are getting more coverage from the pay people now.”
Germany, Italy and Spain have also followed the British lead of split television deals. Which leaves Bernie to say everything is going well thanks to increased revenue, but for how much longer?
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
Porsche has won Le Mans a record 16 times. It’s return to the LMP1 category in 2014 brought with it a wave of nostalgia. Xcar ran with that and made this 25 minute video which they have declared is “the definitive history” of Porsche at Le Mans.
[Thanks to John for the tip]
A rare Porsche made in 1968, what’s not to love! Hang on a sec, hasn’t that bus got a Mercedes-Benz badge on the grille? That’s right, this old skool race transporter was built by Mercedes and used by the Porsche factory team from its creation up until the 1980s.
‘Buster’ as it is now affectionately known is one of only two transporters of its kind and is currently owned by Brumos Porsche in the United States. It’s great to see the Brumos team understand and respect the little piece of history they have, as this video from egarage shows.
[via Motor Sport Retro]
The Porsche 918 Spyder, it’s natural playground is the 20.832km of ribbon-like tarmac at the Nürburgring. But what happens if you find yourself faced with snow and ice as far as the eye can see?
Don’t panic, just bung on snow tyres complete with 6mm spikes and let it rip!
Lewis Hamilton’s title defence will start in Australia in mid-March and Australian viewers will be able to see it all live in high definition on Fox Sports.
In news announced today Fox Sports has signed a five-year agreement which will see it broadcast live every practice session, every qualifying session and every race, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on 12 March.
Understandably the top brass at Fox Sports are very pleased with themselves with and have confirmed Australia will take on the Sky Sports feed.
“We have reached an extraordinary affiliate agreement with Sky to deliver through Fox Sports the same incredible Formula 1 coverage which is provided by Sky Sports in the UK,” confirmed Patrick Delany, Fox Sports CEO.
Meanwhile, Delany’s boss, Foxtel CEO, Richard Freudenstein, has gone into overdrive promoting his new product.
“Not only will fans see all the races live but we will add unrivalled behind the scenes experiences and the most expert commentary available,” Freudenstein said. “Fans of motor racing will be thrilled with what they can see if they subscribe to Foxtel’s sports package.”
That means Formula 1 will be included in the regular sports package which is a $25 per month add on over the compulsory $25 basic package. A high definition Foxtel receiver is a further $10 per month, bringing the total outlay to $60 per month.
Viewers unable or unwilling to sign up to pay television can still watch F1 on free-to-air on the Ten Network. Similar to the BBC/Sky deal in the UK, Ten will broadcast 10 of the races live (simulcast with Fox Sports) with delayed highlights packages for the remaining races.
You can see a calendar below listing the races the Ten Network will show live.
[Source: Fox Sports | Thanks to Tom for the tip]
We all know the #35 Nissan GT-R won the 2015 Bathurst 12 hour and we know that the #15 Audi came second and the #97 Aston Martin was third.
However, the manner in which the minor placings were decided has remained a mystery. Going into Conrod Straight for the last time the #10 Bentley was in P2 from the Audi, with the Aston close behind.
The Aston Martin got ahead of the Audi before the Chase to claim the final podium step. Thanks to the arsery from Channel 7 we never got to see the final corner stoush that sorted out this three-way battle and saw the Audi go from fourth to second. Thanks to “Rusty Blackmore” and his trackside YouTube clip we can now see what happened next.
Entering Murray’s Corner the Bentley had the inside line, with the Audi trying to find its way past on the outside. The Aston was tucked in behind the Bentley looking for an early apex to make a move on the final left hand corner of the race and then…
Rally Sweden will be held this weekend. It’s the only genuine snow and ice event on the WRC calendar and with that comes unique technical requirements and driving methods for the teams and drivers.
After the break we’ve assembled a few preview clips to bring you up to speed on what to expect this weekend.
We bring you three videos from the recent 2015 Bathurst 12 hour race giving you a driver’s eye view around the 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit.
The first features the eventual race winner Katsumasa Chiyo in the #35 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 during Firday practice.
The second was filmed during the race and shows Ben Gersekowski behind the wheel of the #93 MARC Cars Australia Focus V8. This clip includes telemetry from the car which brings further interest.
In the final clip you start the race onboard the #42 BMW M3 GTR with Anthony Gilbertson … until he hits that kangaroo.
The 2015 Bathurst 12 hour race saw a record 20 Safety Car periods. The first of those came after this incident during the early stages of the race when Anthony Gilbertson driving the #42 BMW M3 GTR hit a kangaroo on Conrod Straight.
Video of the strike has been uploaded to YouTube by Gilbertson and can be seen below. If you’re not up to seeing a skippy get hit at high speed or some colourful language it’s best if you don’t watch the clip.
Kangaroos have long been a a problem at Mount Panorama and a cull was proposed by Bathurst Councillor Warren Aubin last year in the wake of Roger Lago’s kangaroo strike which ended his Bathurst 12 hour race.
[Thanks to Aaron for the tip]