Finally F1 came back this weekend! With all the stuff going on in the off season I was flipping out waiting for 2010 to start! There were new teams on the grid (except USF1 unfortunately), Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari, and the return of Michael Schumacher! As expected many of the new teams and rookies didn’t do so hot in the opening laps. But after all the carnage was clear it was Sebastien Vettel who was in the lead and practically running away from the entire field. Until his Renault Red Bull car started to suffer a drop off in power within the last 15 laps or so.
Turned out that he had a cracked exhaust manifold! BUMMER! Since he wasn’t able to keep up his pace he was passed up by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa respectively and then finally by Lewis Hamilton. So in the end it was a Ferrari 1-2 with McLaren taking the third spot. It was a good race but I gotta feelfor Vettel. I can’t imagine how much it must suck to go from dominating most of the race and then not even make the podium! Expect a pissed off/determined Vettel at the next round! You can read a full race report at SPEED.
There are more than a few new teams coming to the grid in F1 this season but so far one of the best looking cars in my opinion is Virgin Racing’s VR-01. Not sure how they’ll perform but at least they’ll look good either way!
It looks like former Honda F1poster boy Takuma Sato will make the jump to Indy Cars this season driving for Jimmy Vasser’s KV Racing Technologies team. No word yet on who his teammate will be but I think it is pretty awesome to see Sato-san racing again.
Press Release:
SATO TO DRIVE FOR KV RACING TECHNOLOGY DURING 2010 INDYCAR SERIES SEASON
“We are very excited to have been able to put this deal together with Takuma and his group,” said KVRT co-owner Jimmy Vasser. “I can’t wait to see what I know will be a extremely fast pace by Taku on the road courses and look forward to working with him and getting him up to speed on the ovals. I have no doubt that Taku will be right on the pace immediately. Taku’s knowledge and experience will be a great asset and his great sense of humor and easy manner will add positive energy to our team.
Sato, known as “Taku”, is a veteran of seven Formula 1 seasons. He began his career racing bicycles and go-karts in his native Japan. In 1998, Taku moved to Europe to race cars. Over the course of the next three seasons, he competed in several European series most notably British Formula 3. Taku placed fourth in the British Formula 3 National Class B championship in 1999, third in Class A in 2000 and won the Class A championship in 2001. His 16 wins in British Formula 3 over the 2000 and 2001 seasons is still a record. Taku made the jump to Formula 1 in 2002 competing for Jordan-Honda. He ran 17 races that first season earning one top-five finish, placing fifth and earning his first F1 championship point, in the season finale at Suzuka, Japan. In 2003, Taku moved to the British American Racing (BAR)-Honda F1 team where he spent the next three seasons serving first as a test and third driver then competing full-time. His best F1 season was in 2004 when he placed eighth in the championship with 34 points on the strength of10 top-10 finishes including five top-five showings and one podium, placing third at the United States Grand Prix. In 2006, Taku joined the new Super Aguri-Honda F1 team. He spent the next two plus seasons with Super Aguri until the team withdrew after just four races in 2008.
“This is a very exciting time for me and all my supporters,” Taku said. “I have really missed racing last year and can’t wait to get started in this new challenge with such a great team. To me, KV Racing Technology is a team with massive potential and great team spirit. With such a great champion as Jimmy leading the team, I am really confident that we will soon be a strong combination. I am also really motivated by the chance to be fighting at the front of the field, something I have missed in recent seasons. I want to thank sincerely everyone who has continued to support me through difficult times and look forward to enjoying success together very soon.”
About KV Racing Technology:
KV Racing Technology was established in 2003. The Indianapolis-based team will contest its eighth open-wheel season and third in the IndyCar Series in 2010. KVRT is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 Indy Car Series Champion, Jimmy Vasser. Veteran motorsports manager Mark Johnson is the team’s General Manager. KVRT has earned two victories, the first by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005 and the second by Will Power in Long Beach in 2008. They have captured two poles, Tristan Gommendy at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Vasser at Milwaukee in 2005 (Will Power captured the pole at the 2008 Surfers Paradise, Australia exhibition race).
For more information about KV Racing Technology visit: www.kvracingtechnology.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kvracing and Facebook: www.facebook.com/kvracingtechnology
For more information about Takuma Sato visit: www.takumasato.com
The 2010 F1 season is fast approaching and things are starting to swiftly fall into place for the newly born USF1 team based out in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you want a peak at some of the stuff they’re doing to get ready check out this behind the scenes video that shows in detail what it takes just to make the nose of an F1 car.
I know I know I shouldn’t be posting this .. but I don’t care! This got me ready for the 2010 season come on LH!!
One day the MWH will be at a F1 race .. one day ..
A few days ago the newly dubbed Mercedes-GP Petronas Team debuted their new livery and car for 2010. Reminds me of the McLaren cars but with blue accents. I am really feeling the exposed carbon fiber on the nose though, that’s pretty fresh. Check out highlights from the debut below.
I know this is early for a first post but what better way to start the day off than with a wonderful sight such as 10 pristine, ready to rock, genuine Cosworth engines just waiting to be mated to their F1 chassis. I wonder which of the engines in this picture will go in the USF1 cars?
Someone once asked me if its possible to grow out of slot car racing. This is how you answer that question, if you can look at this Brawn GP vs McLaren Mercedes slot car racing set and not want it then yes, you can grow out of it. However, it is IMPOSSIBLE to look at this and not want it! Slot car racing lives inside us all forever! If you have 63 bucks and are willing to wait for this to come to your house all the way from the UK then do it! Do it now!
Today rumors became official news when it was formally announced that seven time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) for the 2010 season along side fellow German driver Nico Rosberg. This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Petronas snubbed the new Lotus team to become the title sponsor of Mercedes GP. It looks like they knew something we didn’t! It looks like the debate of how the young guns would fare against the legendary Schumacher and vice versa will finally be settled in the new year. Check out Mike’s BBC interview and the official team press release below.
Press Release:
The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team can confirm today that seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will make his racing return in 2010 with the Silver Arrows team.
With seven Drivers’ World Championships, 248 Grand Prix starts, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, the 40-year old German needs no introduction following an illustrious and record-breaking Formula One career from 1991 to 2006 at the Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari teams.
Michael’s return to racing with MERCEDES GP PETRONAS sees his return to Mercedes-Benz Motorsport where he began his racing apprenticeship as part of the Junior Programme in 1990, racing in Group C sports cars and DTM, and sees Michael renew his partnership with Ross Brawn with whom he won all seven of his World Championships.
Today’s announcement confirms the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver line-up for the 2010 season with Michael partnering his compatriot, 24 year old Nico Rosberg, in the Silver Arrows cars.
Michael Schumacher: “MERCEDES GP PETRONAS represents a new challenge for me both in a sporting and a personal context. It is a new chapter in my racing career and I am really looking forward to working with my old friend Ross Brawn and my companions from my days with the Mercedes Junior Programme. I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track. For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes supported me for so many years when I began my Formula 1 career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star.”
Nico Rosberg: “It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula One and will be my team-mate at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed! It is also great news for our sport and the fans.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: “I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula One next year and drive for our MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. As seven-time World Champion, Michael’s outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth. We can now turn our full attention to the preparations for the new season and everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is extremely excited about the challenge ahead. With the investment and support in our team provided by Daimler, Aabar and our new title partner Petronas, and with two such exciting drivers, we have all of the building blocks in place to have another successful season in 2010.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports: “In April 1991, when I had been in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for just six months, Michael was standing beside me on the balcony one evening. Without the slightest doubt, he said in a low voice: “It’s about time that I got into Formula 1″. Michael had just turned 22 years of age and four months later, he made his debut at Spa in a Jordan. Mercedes-Benz helped him to this point and the rest is history: seven World Championship titles, more than any racing driver, 91 Grand Prix wins, more than any racing driver. Michael has more of everything than every other driver. As part of the Mercedes Junior Programme, Michael had raced in Group C sports cars and competed in a few DTM races. Ross Brawn, then our opponent at Jaguar, quickly realised Michael’s talent and they went on to win all seven of his Drivers’ World Championship titles together at Benetton and Ferrari. Our sporting ambition has always been that Michael should drive again where his professional career had started and Michael knew that. We often joked about it after the races and discussed the prospect seriously several times during the last 14 years in Formula 1. It didn’t happen in 1995, it didn’t happen in 1998 and it didn’t happen in 2005. I am delighted that it will now happen in 2010. I am very much looking forward to working with Michael and everybody at Mercedes-Benz and Daimler extends a very warm welcome to our ‘apprentice’ of 19 years ago. That apprentice is now the most successful racing driver of all time.”
The silly season of F1 has barely started and things have already been massively shaken up. This is mostly due to salary disagreements and a flood of new teams entering the world stage of Formula 1. With Jenson Button heading to McLaren and Mercedes practically leaving McLaren for Brawn GP (Turning it into Mercedes GP) it looks like Virgin CEO Richard Branson decided to step out of the lover’s quarrel and start his own team dubbed “Virgin Racing.”
After cruising their website for a few moments it looks as if they’re putting together an all star team on a shoe string budget. In fact Branson almost boasts that his team will run on no more than 40mm Euros per season. That might sound like a lot but compared to the budgets of the big teams 40 mil is pennies. It looks like Richard enjoys being David to McLaren/Ferrari’s Goliath. However Virgin Racing will be armed with much more than a slingshot and a single rock. To help with keeping the budget down Virgin Racing has chosen Cosworth to be their engine provider. They’ve got Timo Glock and Lucas Di Grassi as their one-two punch. They also absconded famed technical director Nick Wirth from Acura’s ALMS program and John Booth handling the sporting director duties.
This is definitely a team to look out for. I am personally expecting big things from Virgin Racing next year.
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