[ecenandu]

Redbull PR stunt with Max.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYOrlcW2LBw

[narayans80]

We don't want to miss Pastor, some races are so boring, his crashes are the sole entertainment

[shyn]

List of drivers salaries for this year!

[shyn]

So it is official! Maldonator will not be racing in Formula One anymore. Atleast not in 2016. Kevin Magnussen will be officially announced as his replacement any day now.

Pastor's statement in full:

As you all know there have been rumours over the last few days about my immediate future in Formula One.

It has been 23 years in the exciting world of sports. I started at a young age. With the help from my family we grew up and I started to form as a professional. I tasted success, that thing that leaves you eager to fight even more. Soon after turning into a teenager I started chasing my dreams in unknown lands, without the warmth from my people, my roots, my Venezuela. In that moment, I became a man and I understood that there were plenty of things that could distract me from my goal, but I always reached it.

The karting world championship, Formula Renault 2000, Formula 3000, the World Series and the unforgettable GP2 championship. I got used to winning, we got over 200 trophies of all sizes and shapes. All my life has been filled with achievements in a wonderful space which made my people proud.

The most awaited dream arrived. The end that justified all the means: Formula One, a category that even gave me the most anticipated of wins, in that Spanish Grand Prix in 2012.

All this thanks to the support from my family, from the international fans and above all from my country, that country that listened to our glorious anthem that reached the whole world, because I not only carried the flag in my car, but also in my soul and to the top of the podium.

Today with the biggest humility I inform you that I won't be on the grid at the start of the 2016 season. Thanks for all the messages of support, passion and concerns about my future.

I'm very thankful to God, my family, my sponsors, my friends, my fans and everybody who has helped me materialise this dream of having represented Venezuela in the pinnacle of motorsport.

See you soon!

Pastor Maldonado.

[reignofchaos]

Phew no more epic Maldonado crashes. F1 will be boring now. The only fun factor of the race weekend is gone now

[jfxavier]

The Nikkei staff writer Masaaki Kudo recently spoke with Yasuhisa Arai, head of motor sports at Honda, about last year's teething problems and how the team is progressing.

Properly translated and clear. The whole interview with the questions asked included. The translation is very good and the reporter is very objective and fair. Unlike some of the western press interviews that doesn't give the questions asked and takes some "key" words that Arai says and run with it.

Now just wait for a score of articles on the western media spawned from excerpts from this interview. I already have seen a couple.

Q: What happened last year?

A: The season was really tough and we failed to meet expectations placed on us by fans, McLaren and those who provided support to us. There are many reasons for that, but I think the results say everything.

Early in the season, we felt the effects of our seven-year absence from racing. We anticipated technological troubles. And although we recognized them, we failed to quickly pinpoint the causes, come up with measures to resolve them and make the necessary adjustments. We were suffering from what athletes call a "lack of match sharpness."

We participated in our first race of the 2015 season, the Australian Grand Prix, in March last year before mastering the complicated hybrid system (required under current F1 regulations). We all did our best, but a lot of technological troubles occurred before we could capitalize on our collective experience. We got off to a really difficult start.

Q: In its current form, F1 racing is a competition of environmental technologies, with fuel use limited to 100kg and involving small turbocharged engines with displacements of 1.6 liters capable of generating speeds of 300kph. One of the factors pushing Honda back into racing was the desire to hone its green technology. Which technologies have proved the most difficult?

A: When we tested our car in Abu Dhabi one year before [Honda's return to F1], we encountered problems with our electronic control system. We thought resolving those issues would be enough. But during tests in the winter of 2014, we discovered there were a lot of other things we needed to address, such as the problem of cooling temperatures in excess of 1,000 C and regenerating heat energy. The three test runs we conducted before the season proved useless.

Up until the Spanish Grand Prix in May, it was like playing whack-a-mole: As soon as we resolved one problem, another popped up. Though we don't disclose the number of people involved in our F1 team, about half of them are new to the field.

The biggest challenge involved technologies for the system to recycle heat energy and convert it into electricity for use to assist motors. At the summer Belgian and Italian Grand Prix events, called "power circuits" because they involve long straight runs, we recognized we could not catch up with other teams.Even if we increased the power output of our engine, it would lose some 160 horsepower on straightaways due to the shortage of heat energy. We needed to carry out a complete review of the basic hardware design, but we couldn't do that during the season.

In the second half of the season, we tried other approaches to improve our performance as much as possible. But we had a tough time. Honda faced the same problems that other teams did after F1 rules were changed in 2014.

Q: What are you doing to fix your technological problems?

A: Last August, we began studies on an engine aimed at thoroughly resolving our problems for the 2016 season at our laboratory in Sakura, Tochigi Prefecture. I couldn't say we would definitely find solutions within a year. Members of our development team have been extremely busy, because they were simultaneously working to improve our power unit in 2015 and drastically reworking designs for 2016. Our U.K. development center in Milton Keynes serves as our front-line base for racing; all projects for engine development are being undertaken at the Sakura lab.

Q: There was a lot of press about tension between Honda and McLaren last season.

A: We thoroughly discuss problems until we see eye to eye. The talks are neither cozy nor confrontational. Sometime around last summer, they asked if we had sufficient [development] resources and wanted to know why we were doing things exclusively on our own. They also asked us to use outside personnel, which from their perspective is natural given the high job mobility in Europe.

But we explained that Honda has a different philosophy. It's important to nurture manpower. It isn't acceptable to us to have an outside engineer stay for just three months or half a year.

Q: Some analysts say that the technological troubles you encountered stemmed from McLaren's "size zero" concept, which called for an extremely small power unit. Do you intend to make any size changes in 2016?

A: No. F1 cars cannot go fast without proper consideration given to air resistance and the way suspensions move. It's important to minimize the size of power units so that they don't interfere with the car's design. ... McLaren once told us that we don't have to be aggressive in downsizing our power unit. But we are determined to shrink the size by whatever means possible.

Q: Despite all the difficulties your team had, you often sounded positive last season.

A: If a person in a key position talks about negative things, the entire team becomes negative. Amid our difficulties, I wanted members of our team to think about what action they should take and recognize that they were doing meaningful work. All of the team members, from novices in their 20s to veterans, desperately tried to fix problems. I speak positively because I understand and trust them.

Q: What specific plans do you have for 2016 in terms of budget and personnel?

A: We don't disclose details about that. I can't even talk about percentage changes. But we have been considering the budget and team size since last summer. I've talked with [Honda] President Takahiro Hachigo and received his pledge for full support; we are ready for the 2016 season.

Q: At a time when development costs for next-generation mass-production cars are swelling, is Honda's involvement in F1 impacting the company's business?

A: We conduct two test runs every Friday, another two on Saturday and one more on Sunday for a total of five runs per week. Using sensors, we monitor for problems and generate a huge amount of data. We immediately find the causes of any problems and fix them. Then we repeat the process all over again.

This process naturally generates top-notch engineers and corporate managers. Trained under extreme conditions, these people will become Honda's core manpower in the future. The work is meaningful in the long run.

Our involvement in F1 also serves the symbolic pillar of Honda's branding strategy.

Q: But your brand value could drop if you fail to produce results. Are you confident about 2016?

A: We're keen to meet everyone's expectations and reach the podium as soon as possible. We will resolve the technological problems we failed to address in 2015 and will head into the opening race with confidence

Source : http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Comp...m-s-rough-year

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by shyn

List of drivers salaries for this year!

All of this should probably be taken with a pinch of salt, but I cannot believe that Kimi would be making $28 million without bonuses in 2016. Wasn't he on a 2+1 year deal and his extension for 2016 held up due to reported salary (re-)negotiations?

For $28 million, Ferrari could've probably bought out Ricciardo's or Bottas' contract to replace Kimi and given them a sizeable hike as well.

However, Kimi has some pretty good managers. So maybe paying Kimi off + breaking another driver's contract + giving them a hike wasn't financially attractive enough for Ferrari, while also risking disruption in driver harmony within the team.

[jfxavier]

RENAULT F1 TEAM RS16 LAUNCH

Just a show car anyway.
Will look different in the season, maybe.
One by one, the teams are crossing onto the dark side.

https://youtu.be/Nhakb-XD4SY

[Hatari]

^ Too much black for my liking. Glad to see K Mag back!

In another development, F1 has decided to abandon the token system from 2017.
Good news for Honda and Renault, and for F1 in general.

[shyn]

Mercedes has revealed that its power unit is now producing in excess of 900bhp and engine boss Andy Cowell says there is no reason to believe its development rate will slow in the next few years.

Mercedes has dominated Formula One since the introduction of the current regulations in 2014 and for most of that period it has held a significant power advantage over its rivals. In a presentation to media at the team's engine factory in Brixworth this week, Cowell explained that the current 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid is now producing more power than the 3.0-litre V10 Mercedes engine of 2005.

"It's the most powerful Formula One engine [we've made] with over 900bhp," Cowell explained. "It's pretty good going from this little nimble 1.6 litre engine, but that power has been created because the efficiency has changed. We've got road-car technologies in there and new emerging technologies are in there with regard to the MGU-H."

Under the current engine formula, the fuel-flow rate is limited meaning efficiency is the key to unlocking power from the engine. Cowell revealed that the Mercedes power unit is now achieving more than 45 percent thermal efficiency -- i.e. 45 percent of the potential energy in the fuel is delivered to the crankshaft -- and efficiency of more than 50 percent when the ERS is operating at full power.

By comparison, the V8 engines pre-2014 achieved thermal efficiency of 29 percent and the first iteration of the Mercedes V6 turbo in 2014 managed 40 percent thermal efficiency. Cowell sees no reason why similar gains in efficiency, and therefore power, cannot be made in 2016 and beyond.

"Thermal efficiency is going up from where we were in 2014, with a good step up for 2015," he said. "Perhaps it is going to go up in 2016 and it's definitely going to go up in the future because nobody has said we have reached the limit here. When I walk around the factory I never hear people say that it's the best we can do or is optimum.

"Does it get harder to find big gains? Yes it does, but there are lots of areas where small gains will come. It's a little bit like gold mining when you work bloody hard to get lots of dust and every now and again you get a nice big nugget that makes you smile. We still find those nuggets.

"We have made some huge gains in the last years as we have done the development and we have made good gains with the last two years of racing. I don't see that stopping and I don't think anybody here thinks we have reached the limit. Where we are at today with our thermal efficiency is mind-blowing when you look at it, and if we can apply that into the road car world without losing that high efficiency then it will be tremendous for the road car world."

Source: http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...more-come-2016

I love it when F1 tecnology crosses over to road cars, even if it is still limited to the supercars. Because it will trickle down our way some day!
The 'thermal efficiency' application should help roadcars become more efficient, both performance and economy wise. And Mercedes already uses the 'hot inside v' turbo arrangement on the brilliant M178 4.0 twinturbo V8 powering the AMG GT and C63 which seem to be gathering nothing but rave reviews the world over since their launch.
DRS is also seen in the form of 'active aerodynamics' on most of the supercars now.
I had a few doubts though-
1. So Regenerative Brakes seen on electric/hybrid cars is basically the roadcar adaptation of KERS/MGU-K, right?
2. And is there any adaptation of MGU-H seen on any roadcar?

[Hatari]

BRIATORE: FORMULA 1 IS NOW PLAYSTATION FOR ENGINEERS
http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/5...for_engineers/

Flavio is bang on.

[jfxavier]

Originally Posted by shyn

I had a few doubts though-
1. So Regenerative Brakes seen on electric/hybrid cars is basically the roadcar adaptation of KERS/MGU-K, right?
2. And is there any adaptation of MGU-H seen on any roadcar?

Some more tech. articles being churned out to keep away the off season blues.
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1...zero-obsolete/

The regenerative braking and hybrid applications are in principle similar to MGU-K.
The pilot projects and homework for road car application of MGU-H is in progress as I understand. Turbo lag is a thing of the past once MGU-H is available on road cars.
Turbo compounding as it is called int he aircraft applications is not exactly a new technology, but the adaptation of that into a car engine is ingenious indeed. Also the efficiency of the recovery is also astonishing if the claims are to be believed.

In F1 the Thermal efficiency improvements are rumored to be from the advancement in the combustion chamber designs. Apparently these petrol engines are having very high compression ratio and works close to a diesel engine like auto ignition. That's where Honda was also chasing the gains last year, even though the ERS was their main weakness.

The new Toyota Prius claims a Thermal efficiency of 40% +.

Definitely looking good I say

The main issue with these claims are if the regenerated energy from MGU-K can be included in the engine TE numbers or not?

[shyn]

It's official. Pascal Wehrlein will race for Manor in 2016.
Source: http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...et-manor-drive

So here's what the 2016 driver line-up looks like so far:

1. Mercedes
Nico Rosberg (Confirmed)
Lewis Hamilton (Confirmed)

2. Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel (Confirmed)
Kimi Raikkonen (Confirmed)

3. Red Bull TAG-Heuer
Daniel Ricciardo (Confirmed)
Daniil Kvyat (Likely)

4. Williams-Mercedes
Valtteri Bottas (Confirmed)
Felipe Massa (Confirmed)

5. McLaren-Honda
Fernando Alonso (Confirmed)
Jenson Button (Confirmed)

6. Force India-Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg (Confirmed)
Sergio Perez (Confirmed)

7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Max Verstappen (Confirmed)
Carlos Sainz (Confirmed)

8. Renault
Kevin Magnussen (Confirmed)
Jolyon Palmer (Confirmed)

9. Sauber-Ferrari
Marcus Ericsson (Confirmed)
Felipe Nasr (Confirmed)

10. Manor-Mercedes
Pascal Wehrlein (Confirmed)
TBA (Possible candidates: Will Stevens, Alexander Rossi, Rio Hartyanto, Roberto Merhi)

11. Haas-Ferrari
Romain Grosjean (Confirmed)
Esteban Gutierrez (Confirmed)

Source: http://m.crash.net/f1/feature/222095...up-so-far.html

[myavu]

Glimpse of 2016 Merc car and Power Unit explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANUFM3B01As

Cheers!

Vinu

[redbaron91]

Weekend music note for all, Ferrari firing their 2016 power unit.
Reminds me of the time I watched F1 at BIC. I can feel it reverberating all around my ears!!!

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fe...ire-up-672880/

Credits :- Motorsport.com