Kraven VanHelsing

Di motori. L'articolo parla di Renault, non di RBR.

Proponi ancora meno pistoncini di quelli attuali?

Ma il grip meccanico renderebbe le vetture che si inseguono da vicino maggiormente indipendenti tra loro. Non è un fattore secondario. @Andre: tecnicamente sarebbe sicuramente fattibile misurare la deportanza generata però andrebbe congelata a inizio stagione (magari per due o tre configurazioni a seconda delle tipologie di piste). Fare le verifiche tecniche da pista a pista però sarebbe un casino.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says German drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel are not good for business because they do not do enough to endear themselves to fans. TV audiences and race attendances in Germany have been in decline of late, with the German Grand Prix getting axed from the calendar this season for the first time since 1960. In a joint interview with Rosberg for the official F1 website, Ecclestone said the 2014 runner-up and four-time champion Vettel do not do enough to boost their individual profiles. "As the cancellation of the German Grand Prix indicates, Germany is a terrible market for Formula 1," said Ecclestone. "On the contrary Lewis [Hamilton] is a hero in the UK. The British love Formula 1. "Sebastian is also not doing much for F1. People hardly recognise him on the street." Ecclestone picked out world champion Hamilton, who is often seen at A-list parties, as a good promoter of F1, which he says has in turn boosted its profile in the UK and across the world. "I still believe that Lewis is the best champion that we have had in a long, long time," said Ecclestone. "He manages to get to all different walks of life: red carpet, fashion business, and music - you name it. "That is not your [Nico's] fault or his. You two are just very different characters. "When it comes to F1, I am a huge Lewis fan because he is a super promoter of the sport. "From a pure business aspect - sorry Nico if I have to say this - you are not so good for my business." Rosberg responded: "Wait a minute. That is a hard call. "Bernie is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. "I also do think about our sport and want to make an effort - but in my own way. I am Nico and not Lewis." Ecclestone added: "It sounds harder than it is meant. Unfortunately you don't have the German fans on your side." F1's boss went on to suggest that the championship needs more figureheads. "True, I also would rather race than strut red carpets in Hollywood - and thank God this is not my job - but also the team principals should be more prominent," he added. "Take away Toto Wolff's Mercedes shirt and send him down a street - nobody would recognise him."

Ma le dimensioni totali del pneumatico testato da Brundle quali sono? Delle attuali non ho trovato dati.

Michelin motorsport director Pascal Couasnon believes Formula 1 will soon switch to 18-inch wheels because the current size of 13-inches is "a thing of the past". Earlier this month Couasnon suggested Michelin was poised to make a return to F1, with the formal tender process for the next three-year contract from 2017 opened this week by the FIA. Couasnon, however, made clear Michelin would only bid if it could make more durable tyres, and running on 18-inch rims. "They permit the development of new technologies that can be used for mass-produced road tyres," he said. "We believe it is impossible to transfer technology from small-diameter tyres with tall side walls, yet motorsport can play a significant role in speeding up the development of future road-going solutions. "We need racing tyres to have a similar profile to road tyres to be in a position to develop new technologies." Couasnon is certain 18-inch wheels will eventually be introduced, despite F1's desire to stand out from the crowd. "Formula 1 has successfully become more modern in many areas, but it is not a hotbed of innovation in the realm of tyres," he added. "Single-seater cars racing on 13-inch tyres are a thing of the past. "In addition to the technology-related considerations, bigger-diameter tyres provide single-seater racing cars with a more modern look. "At the same time, the gain for drivers notably concerns cornering performance. "Without making any special effort to fine-tune car set-up, the early testing we carried out last autumn with Renault Sport at Jerez, in Spain, revealed the cars were faster and far more enjoyable to drive simply after replacing the 13-inch tyres with 17 or 18-inch tyres." Current tyre supplier Pirelli has also conducted its own research and is ready to switch to 18-inch rubber if asked by F1 chiefs. Around Monaco on Friday former F1 driver Martin Brundle conducted two demo laps in a GP2 car running on 18-inch tyres. Via social media Brundle remarked he liked the look of the tyre, although added he was unable to see the apex, kerbs or barriers. Couasnon, though, feels the FIA will soon make the call to switch. "I think the idea is gaining ground," he said. "The next decisions on the matter will be made at the end of 2015 for a possible introduction in 2017. "Given the new Formula E championship cars use 18-inch tyres already, and that promotional formulae like the World Series by Renault's FR3.5 and FR2.0 championships which prepare for Formula 1 are perhaps going to follow suit, it seems to me that it's a move that makes sense."

Già non ci avevo pensato. Rispetto all'anno precedente era apparso un po' di colore sulla vettura grazie a Repsol.

In effetti... ma Salo che "sponsor" aveva? Nel 1998 pur guidando bene non riuscì ad assicurarsi un abitacolo per il 1999. In Ferrari vennero convinti dalla convincente sostituzione dell'infortunato Zonta? O ci fu qualche magheggio manageriale?

Intendevo: "come" fa il pilota a fare la differenza con ancora più elettronica, secondo te?

Interessante, potresti dirci qualcosa in più a riguardo?

Qualcuno si chiedeva cosa intendessero per look più aggressivo. Secondo Ian Parkes di autosport.com: AGGRESSIVE LOOKS There would be an increase in the rear tyre width, from 360mm to 420mm, which would increase grip, and again aid the increase in speed. In addition to this the width of the cars would also be increased to two metres with wider front and rear wings, and double end plates.

Sarebbe carino avere l'opinione del nostro utente-ingegnere neoregistrato che lavora in quel di *coff*Ceno*coff* BTW io nella telecronaca della gara di st. petersburg di qualche settimana fa ho sentito dire che le vetture con questi nuovi kit sono più sensibili alla scia e rendono di conseguenza più difficile seguire da vicino per chi intende provare a sorpassare (su stradali/cittadini). E la cosa sembra anche sensata: se rispetto al 2014 ci sono più alette, la vettura che riceve meno aria/aria meno pulita sulle stesse ha una perdita di carico più sensibile rispetto a quella che la precede e che si trova in condizioni ideali.

Couasnon has stated, however, Michelin will only enter if it is allowed to make durable tyres and F1 switches to 18-inch rims, as it currently supplies to Formula E. Neither of those suggestions interests Ecclestone, who told AUTOSPORT: "At the moment Pirelli have gone through a period where they know exactly what we want. "That's always difficult for them because if they make a tyre that is a bit on the limit, as we know, they get slaughtered. "But in the meantime they are prepared to do that. "All Michelin would do is make a rock-hard tyre that you could put on in January and take off in December because they don't want to be in a position where they can be criticised. "That would make absolutely 100 per cent sure, if there was a question mark about Mercedes winning, it would be removed. "It would be all the things we don't want, and goes against all the things Pirelli have had the courage to do from what we have asked, which has made for some bloody good racing. "If we had a rock-hard tyre, we could just forget about that." Ecclestone is also unimpressed by Michelin's preference for 18-inch tyres. "I don't like them. They're horrible looking," he said. "We want our cars to look aggressive, to look like race cars. "Pirelli will always do what we ask them to do, and if we had to have an 18-inch rim they could do it. "But we change things that don't need changing, and things that need changing we don't change. "At the moment we don't need to change the tyres because what is currently working works well."

Michelin has made it clear it is ready to make a return to Formula 1 when the championship's existing tyre contract comes to an end. The French tyre manufacturer was last involved in 2006, opting to depart at the end of that year after a five-season spell as it was unhappy about a move to a single supplier from 2008. Bridgestone initially took up the reins prior to a switch to current supplier Pirelli from 2011, with its current contract running to the end of 2016. With a tender to be put out early next year, Michelin Motorsport director Pascal Couasnon told Italian publication Autosprint: "Why not? We are fully open to a return, but on some precise conditions - Formula 1 must change its technical regulations. "Tyres must become a technical object again, not just a tool to do a more-or-less spectacular show. "Michelin has put forward some precise conditions in order to return to F1. "We want 18-inch tyres, which we already use in Formula E, and soon in another series. "If F1 wants to consider our proposals we are here, fully open, with a strong will to return. "If, instead, the prospects are to keep things as they are now, then thanks but we aren't interested. "At the next tender for F1 tyre supply we will make our proposals, why not? "Then it will be a problem for [bernie] Ecclestone or the FIA whether to accept them or not." Couasnon states Michelin is now "open to supply tyres in a monopoly regime with a sole supplier", as it is about to do in MotoGP when it takes over from Bridgestone. Pirelli's brief upon entering the sport was to make a high-degradation tyre that would lead to multiple pit stops after Bridgestone's highly-durable rubber made for boring races. Although Pirelli fulfilled the brief, the downside has resulted in drivers being unable to push to the limit, instead being forced to preserve their tyres. When asked as to what he dislikes about the current F1 tyres, Couasnon said: "Tyres should offer stable performance and grip levels. "It's not normal that after a few laps a driver says 'I need to slow down otherwise the tyres won't last'. "That shouldn't happen. These days F1 drivers can't show their talent because the tyres don't allow them to. "At the Spa 24 Hours GT race, too, some tyres can't even last for two consecutive stints. "This happens when you are in a sole-supplier regime and you have no motivation to improve. That's called mediocrity, not technology. "If instead you have a technologically interesting rule book, even if you are sole supplier, you are forced to offer a product at its best level." http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118945

http://www.autosport.com/news/atlasf1-report.php/id/11031/ Saturday, July 5th 2003, 13:05 GMT David Coulthard accepted, for the first time, that he was to blame for a 1998 collision in Belgium that left a raging Michael Schumacher accusing the McLaren driver of trying to kill him. Speaking at the French Grand Prix, the Scot also said he fears a Formula One fatality if young drivers fail to act responsibly on the track. Coulthard was comparing the 1998 incident, which happened at Spa-Francorchamps, with the one last week when he almost ploughed into the back of Spaniard Fernando Alonso's Renault at the European Grand Prix. Alonso denied 'brake testing' Coulthard, by slowing early to throw his rival off, but the Briton felt the whole story had not been told. "It could have been a much more severe accident," he said of the Nurbrugring incident, citing previous examples of track collisions including the 2001 Australian Grand Prix when a marshal died after Jacques Villeneuve's BAR flew over Ralf Schumacher's Williams. "I was that close to getting one of those," said Coulthard, talking to a group of reporters. "As sure as we are all sitting here, there will be a fatality in motorsport at some time in the future. "Let's hope it's not any time soon and that it never happens. But it's a dangerous business and you can't just brush these things under the carpet." Spa Blame At Spa in 1998, Schumacher's Ferrari ploughed into Coulthard's car in heavy spray while the German was leading and trying to lap Coulthard. The Scot vehemently denied he had braked early at the time. "I'm not doing a Fernando-beating thing," said Coulthard. "But I realised on reflection...when Michael ran into the back of me, his reaction was that I'd brake tested him or tried to kill him and all that sort of thing. The stewards looked at the data and I hadn't braked, so it was just all brushed under the carpet. "The reality is that I lifted to let him pass me, but I lifted in heavy spray on the racing line. You should never do that. I would never do that now. In 1998, I didn't have the experience and the knowledge, and I had never had someone run into the back of me. And because someone pushes you, you react. So you act as though 'I didn't do that,'" he said. "The minute I knew he was there, and I was told by the team that he was and was trying to allow him to pass me, I should have made a smarter decision." Coulthard said he had learnt from the experience and that drivers like Alonso would have to learn as well. "The risk is that it could have been a very dangerous accident for Michael and Nurburgring could have been a very dangerous accident for me," he said. "Eventually, somewhere down the line, eight or 10 years from now, a young guy will come in and it will happen to Fernando and then he will feel slightly different about it." Penny Dropped Coulthard was asked whether he had told Schumacher what really happened all those years ago. "No, because the penny has only dropped since Nurburgring," he replied. That last Grand Prix was the second time this year that Alonso has been mired in controversy. In Brazil, the 21-year-old ended the race early when he ploughed into wreckage on the track, despite warning flags. The Spaniard still took third place. Coulthard, who had just made a pitstop and might have won rather than finishing fourth, was bitterly disappointed. "I hit the bar when I got back to the hotel and was put to bed in a hell of a state," he recalled. "Not that I think its clever to drink heavily as that kind of response, but what can you do? You can't punch someone. I often think boxers have a great position to be in because, if someone hits you and it hurts, you've got the opportunity to punch the bastard back."

Le vetture 2004 se non sbaglio avevano ancora il longevo e compianto peso limite di 605 kg comprensivo di liquidi e pilota a bordo. E avevano oltre un centinaio di kg di zavorra a disposizione da utilizzare per abbassare il baricentro e regolare la distribuzione dei pesi a seconda delle necessità . Queste pesano 702 kg, sempre con pilota e liquidi a bordo. In effetti non ho chiaro se per entrambe il carburante fosse da considerarsi come peso aggiuntivo rispetto al peso minimo regolamentare. Credo di sì ma aspetto conferme.

E' a Silverstone per testare la Nissan. http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/52045/wec-silverstone-gene-la-nissan-gtr-lm-sta-migliorando

He got it a little bit backwards.

Magari c'entra anche Honda (e Renault che minaccia il ritiro).

All hail the princess

Car giant Mercedes-Benz tried to help save the German Grand Prix with an offer to cover half of any losses from its own coffers, a report in this weekend's Observer newspaper has discovered. According to the London-based paper, Mercedes also said that it would itself undertake the promotion of the race if it was kept on the FIA calendar for the 2015 F1 world championship, which would have further added to the multi-million euro price tag. The German GP was originally scheduled to take place at the Nurburging, with last-minute efforts to save the Grand Prix subsequently proposing a switch to hold it at the rival Hockenheim circuit instead. However the attempts to save the race failed despite the intervention by the car manufacturer, and the FIA announced on Friday that the event had been formally dropped from this year's itinerary after "the commercial rights holder and promoter did not reach agreement," to the dismay of teams, drivers and millions of fans alike. It will be the first time since 1960 that F1 has not staged a world championship race in Germany. "The organisation of the race calendar and of individual events is a matter for the FIA, the commercial rights holder and the individual promoters," the newspaper report a spokesman from Mercedes as saying. "In principle, we do not believe it is the job of the competing teams to provide financial support for individual events and we do not believe this is a sustainable model for the future. "Nevertheless, the German GP is a core race on the F1 calendar and we have a significant interest in this race taking place," the spokesman continued. "Mercedes-Benz has participated in discussions and offered a significant contribution to support a successful German GP, at the Hockenheimring, in 2015. "This offer was, unfortunately, not accepted." With Germany playing such a huge role in the history of the global automotive industry, and the recent spectacular achievements of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel in amassing multiple titles during their respective dominant periods in F1, it's no surprise that Mercedes wanted to celebrate its own current spell of success in the sport with a home race in 2015. Instead the nearest thing that German fans will have to a home event this year will be the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg on June 21. That will take place at the Red Bull Ring which is owned and operated by Dietrich Mateschitz, who also owns one of the Mercedes F1 team's biggest rival teams.

Mah...

Il tedesco medio è così raffinato da fare questa distinzione?

Siamo sicuri siano così affezionati a Sebastian? I 4 anni e mezzo di scintille RBR dal punto di vista degli ascolti non mi sembra abbiano restituito chissà quali risultati eclatanti (potrei benissimo sbagliarmi).

Lo dice quando pensa gli convenga dirlo