Grand Prix Champ -- Formula One and IndyCar

Which racing league provides the most entertainment value?

2009-02-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

The February poll question is "Which auto racing league provides the most entertainment value?"

From a purely entertainment point of view, which do you enjoy watching the most? Take the poll to the right, then tell us in your comments why you favor one league over the others.
If you enjoy a different form of racing even more than automobiles or motorcycles, tell us about that as well.

Ethanol and the Indy Racing, a rocky marriage

2009-02-02T15:12:00.003-05:00

The Indy Racing League has been a champion of ethanol. They are still the only racing series to use biofuels. This has been a win for the Indy Racing League, because of the perception that ethanol is produced from corn grown in our heartland.

On another front we have Brazil, perhaps the most important market for auto racing. Auto racing is more popular in Brazil than any other country, and with a diverse population and growing economy, it's an ideal fit for companies who want to promote their wares to Brazil.

Indy would love to capture more Brazilian sponsorship and expand their brand outside of North America. A major Brazilian sponsor would increase the chances of having a race in South America as well as attracting the diehard Brazilian Formula One fans to IndyCar.

Ironically one of the major products of Brazil is ethanol, specifically ethanol created from sugar cane which yields far better results than corn grown ethanol.

Now the IRL is faced with the quandary of using American fuel suppliers or Brazilian fuel suppliers to provide them with racing fuel. In these economic times it's tempting to steer away from the American ethanol producer whom, let's face it, has been highly subsidized by the US government. Today corn grown ethanol is popular as we go green, but sugarcane ethanol shows much higher promise. In the long run there's a strong chance that the Brazilian and other South American suppliers of ethanol will be the dominant player in a global market.

I think it's great that the Indy Racing League has dedicated itself to providing tremendous entertainment for Americans, but in the long run it helps the league, the teams, and the technology to act more globally.

If you were faced with our current economy, and were president of the IRL, tell us how you would feel about allowing a Brazilian company to supply ethanol and become a featured sponsor.

KV could cut back to single car

2009-02-02T07:36:00.002-05:00

KV Racing have become the latest IndyCar Series team to admit that they might have to scale back their programme in 2009 due to a lack of sponsorship, with co-owner Jimmy Vasser saying that they are currently set to run just one car this year.

Vasser said that unless funding was found soon, the recently-signed Mario Moraes would be their sole representative in the 2009 championship. The team ran Will Power (who is now deputising for Helio Castroneves at Penske) and Oriol Servia last year.

Read the full story at autosport.com.

McLaren, Penske principal Teddy Mayer dies at 73

2009-02-02T07:29:00.002-05:00

Teddy Mayer, who helped build McLaren into a Formula One powerhouse, has died. He was 73.
McLaren team principal Ron Dennis said Mayer, an American who had lived in England for several years, died on Friday.

"Teddy was one of motor racing's few truly great men," Dennis said on Sunday. "As far as I and all at McLaren are concerned, he has particular importance, on account of the fact that in 1963 he was part of the very small team of talented enthusiasts who, alongside Bruce McLaren, founded Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd."

After winning two F1 championships at McLaren, Mayer moved into CART racing, joining the Penske team and, as vice chairman, oversaw the team's successes in the 1990s.

source: USA Today

Singapore's Formula One race to raise ticket prices

2009-02-02T07:24:00.000-05:00

The organisers of Singapore's Formula One race plan to raise ticket prices for 2009's event, despite expectations of lower prices amid the economic downturn, according to details provided to corporate clients.

Formula One viewers topped 600 million

2009-01-29T16:22:00.003-05:00

TV viewing figures in Formula 1 broke through the 600m barrier last, largely thanks to the extraordinary World Championship showdown between Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton. This was a gain over the dramatic 2007 season, although not by much.

According to the report issued by the Formula One group, China has now become the sport's biggest audience with a total of 119m watching the races during the season. This overtook previous leader Brazil, which claimed 110m in 2008. The European audiences remain the most significant for the sport, however, and the largest of these was the Italian market with Ferrari fans tuning in to watch Massa. Italy claimed 37.5m in total throughout the season, while Lewis Hamilton's charge helped ITV record a total of 29.1m, which was up seven percent on last season. The BBC, which takes over the rights next year, hopes to do considerably better.

German audiences were down once again, although the arrival of Sebastian Vettel offers some hope for the future, but France is making a recovery after years in the doldrums. This seems to be in response to Renault's success rather than the appearance of Sebastien Bourdais in a Toro Rosso.

Formula One changes safety car rules

2009-01-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

Formula One’s governing body has ditched a controversial rule that led to drivers being penalized for pitting during the early stages of the safety car being deployed in a race.

The revised rule will now allow the pits to stay open, with new software regulating the speed of drivers returning to refuel.

"The rule introduced in 2007 was a bad one, and we’ve gone back to the 2006 regulations," Formula One race director Charlie Whiting told the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Web site (www.fia.com) on Tuesday.

"The only difference is we intend to implement a minimum time back to the pits," he added. "When we deploy the safety car, the message will go to all the cars, which will then have a "safety car" mode on their ECUs (electronic control units).

"As soon as that message gets to the car, it’ll know where it is on the circuit, and it will calculate a minimum time for the driver to get back to the pits. The driver will have to respect this and the information will be displayed on his dashboard."

The rule closing the pits was introduced for safety reasons to prevent drivers speeding through an accident zone in their haste to gain an advantage by getting back to the pits and refueling.

Bryan Herta starting a racing team

2009-01-27T15:48:00.001-05:00

Bryan Herta is back in the Indy Racing League, although not as a driver. The former CART and IndyCar Series race winner has purchased the Firestone Indy Lights equipment of Playa del Racing for his new team, Bryan Herta Racing. Interestingly, the equipment was delivered to Vision Racing's shop in Indianapolis. Herta has not named a driver, or drivers, but expect that information to be forthcoming.

Open wheel drivers well represented at Rolex 24

2009-01-23T17:29:00.003-05:00

This weekend's Rolex 24 in Daytona launches the season of endurance racing in the US. Former and current formula 1, IndyCar, and champ car drivers will be well represented with nearly 30 drivers from open wheel ranks. Many other open wheel drivers from other tiers of racing will also be represented.

Here's a partial list of drivers expected to participate.

Allmendinger, AJ
Andretti, John
Barron, Alex
Briscoe, Ryan
Carpenter, Ed
Castroneves, Helio
da Matta, Cristiano
Dixon, Scott
Doornbos, Robert
Duno, Milka
Fittipaldi, Christian
Foyt IV, A.J.
Franchitti, Dario
Gidley, Memo
Gurney, Alex
Hunter-Reay, Ryan
Magnussen, Jan
Manning, Darren
Meira, Vitor
Montoya, Juan Pablo
Papis, Max
Pruett, Scott
Rahal, Graham
Rice, Buddy
Vasser, Jimmy
Wheldon, Dan
Wilson, Justin
Zonta, Ricardo

Team Penske signs Will Power to replace Castroneves

2009-01-14T16:11:00.001-05:00

Team Penske officials confirmed that Australian driver Will Power will be on stand-by to replace Helio Castroneves as a driver this season.

Castroneves was indicted on federal tax evasion charges in October and is scheduled to go on trial March 2, five weeks before the IndyCar series season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Power and fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe will team up for as long as two-time Indianapolis 500-winner Castroneves is busy answering his legal charges. Castroneves will be in Indy to support the team that supports him. He joined Penske in 2000 and will be retained through the outcome of the trial, at the least.

F1 rookie Sebastien Buemi has “a fantastic moment”.

2009-01-13T16:29:00.001-05:00

F1 rookie Sebastien Buemi has described being handed his Toro Rosso race seat by Dietrich Mateschitz as “a fantastic moment”.

As the 20-year-old prepares to make the leap from test driver to full-time Formula One pilot, he says he’s keeping his feet firmly on the ground. He says he’s is under no illusions about the challenge ahead and expects it to take time before he is fully up to speed.

“You have to be realistic,” he said. “You have to have self-confidence and put yourself in the best possible situation. But you have to keep your feet on the ground and not get depressed if the results don’t come immediately.

“It will be a tough season and everyone in the team will be working hard to make progress with the car in a discipline that represents the highest form of motor sport.”

Read the full story at redbulletin.com

Mark Webber recovering from broken leg

2009-01-13T16:16:00.000-05:00

Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber expects to be off crutches early next week and back in full training after making a steady recovery from a broken leg in November.

Webber broke his lower right leg after a collision with a four-wheel drive vehicle while competing in his own multi-sport charity event in Tasmania.

Webber expects to be ready to drive the Red Bull machine for the season opener in Melbourne, Australia in April.

Dollar General to sponsor Sarah Fisher

2009-01-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Dollar General will be sponsoring Sarah Fisher Racing for four races in 2009. They will be her primary sponsor at Kansas, Indianapolis, Kentucky and Chicago. Sarah Fisher will drive the #67 Dallara.

From the official press release:

"Dollar General is excited about being a part of IndyCar racing for a second season by sponsoring Sarah Fisher in four races," said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's Chairman and CEO. "We look forward to cheering for Sarah and SFR as her team continues to grow and succeed."

"Kansas Speedway will be a great start for us this year," said Fisher. "We began our 2008 season at Indianapolis, and to have the opportunity to be on track prior to Indy will be a great benchmark for our season."

Additionally, Sarah Fisher will have the opportunity this season to set a record for the most starts by a female driver in the Indianapolis 500. If she qualifies, it will be her eighth Indy 500.

Ferrari launches 2009 Fomula 1 car, F60

2009-01-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

Ferrari have unveiled their 2009 car, the F60, on their website. It is the machine that will be driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen as they defend their 2008 constructors' title.

In line with revisions to the Formula One regulations for 2009, the F60 features a lower, wider front wing and a taller, narrower rear wing. Its name commemorates what will be Ferrari’s 60th F1 campaign.

The F60 is the 55th single-seater produced by Ferrari to contest the world championship and it will make its track debut on Monday afternoon at the team's Mugello circuit, with Massa behind the wheel.

The new car has far fewer aerodynamic appendages on its bodywork compared to its predecessor, due to the rule changes designed to cut downforce and promote more overtaking, with the driver now able to make minor front wing adjustments from the cockpit. The F60’s suspension and layout has also been completely reconfigured as a result, in order to maintain optimum weight distribution.

The F60’s design also takes into account two other major rule changes - the return of slick tyres and the option to use a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Ferrari’s KERS has been designed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli and is centrally mounted on the engine under the rear part of the chassis.

The car’s seven-speed transmission has been redesigned to optimise its aerodynamic efficiency, while Ferrari’s Type 056 V8 has been modified in accordance with the new ruling that requires engines to last for three Grand Prix meetings from 2009, with rev limits cut from 19,000 to 18,000 rpm.

On the web: http://f60.ferrariworld.com/

Raikkonen to race Rally car in Findland

2009-01-12T15:37:00.000-05:00

Kimi Raikkonen is set to swap his Ferrari Formula One car for a Fiat rally car when he takes on this year's Arctic Lapland Rally.

The 2007 F1 world champion will begin the event, which takes place in the freezing cold conditions of Northern Finland, for the first time this year.
Raikkonen and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom will be driving a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 in the rally, which runs from January 22nd to the 24th.

The Finn will not be the only F1 name in the mix as reports indicate former world champion Mika Hakkinen will also be competing.

Sebastien Buemi to race for Toro Rosso in 2009

2009-01-09T16:23:00.000-05:00

Toro Rosso have confirmed that Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi will drive for the team in 2009. Buemi, who competed in GP2 last year, was Red Bull Racing's reserve driver in 2008 and has been supported by the Austrian drinks company as a member of its Junior Driver programme since 2005.

“We are delighted to welcome Sebastien, who was already part of the Red Bull family, to our team,” said Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost. “Our engineers have been impressed with his speed in the car and his ability to learn and progress during the testing he has carried out for us last year.

“That, along with some impressive performances in GP2 was enough to convince us to give him the drive. His appointment also fulfils the aims of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme and meets Dietrich Mateschitz’s intention to use Scuderia Toro Rosso as a showcase for young drivers the company has supported in the lower formulae.”

Twenty year-old Buemi first tested for Red Bull in 2007, whilst racing in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2006, he competed in Formula Three, Formula Renault and the F3 Euroseries, while in 2005 he raced in the Formula BMW series, finishing the season second overall after winning seven events.

“I am naturally very happy to be driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso this year,” he said. “Being a Formula One driver has always been my target, since I first started racing. This year, I will do all I can to bring home the best possible results and to show Red Bull that the confidence it has shown in me is justified. I want to thank Red Bull for this opportunity and for all the help they have given me in my career, dating back to 2005.”

Buemi will make his first outing as an official Toro Rosso driver at a test session to be held at Portugal’s Portimao Circuit later this month.

Toro Rosso have promised an announcement on Buemi's 2009 team mate 'at some point before the Australian Grand Prix'. Their 2008 driver Sebastien Bourdais and former Super Aguri racer Takuma Sato have both spent significant time testing with the team over the winter.

source: formula1.com

Renault fails a mandatory crash test

2009-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

Former champions' Renault's 2009 Formula One car has failed a mandatory crash test but the launch will proceed as planned later this month, a team spokeswoman said on Friday.

"We have identified the problem and solved it," she said, giving no further details. "We will be able to run the car as planned in Portugal."

Auto Racing News Briefs

2009-01-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

-- The Indy Racing League continues to look at new engine suppliers for its IndyCar series teams. League officials were in Germany recently talking to Audi.

-- The IndyCar event at Detroit’s Belle Isle has been dropped from the 2009 schedule because it has been unable to find a sponsor.

-- NASCAR's Jeff Gordon competed in the “International Challenge of the Stars” karting event in Brazil — and failed to finish because of mechanical problems. The charity event, organized by Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa, also featured top drivers such as Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

Tickets go on sale for Chinese Grand Prix

2009-01-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Tickets go on sale today for the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix weekend. They Grand Prix was moved up this year to April 17-19 because of a scheduling conflict with the ATP (tennis) Masters Cup.

Source: Shanghai Daily

F1 teams back cost cuts

2009-01-08T15:21:00.001-05:00

LONDON (AFP) — Formula One teams on Thursday agreed a series of changes to further drastically reduce the spiralling costs of the world's most glamourous and expensive sport.

The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) backed moves to cut engine and gearbox costs as well as limit aerodynamic testing.

"The teams agreed that they would develop and freeze low cost transmissions for the 2010-2012 seasons which would have a six race life, priced at 1.5 million euros per season per team," said a statement released by the group after an executive committee meeting held at Heathrow Airport.

"FOTA also reaffirmed its commitment to a five million euro engine supply from 2010 for independent teams, who have expressed their agreement with and support for this arrangement."

Pressure to reduce the mind-boggling F1 budgets increased at the end of 2009 when Honda pulled out of the sport and the global financial crisis bit deeper into motor racing.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, agreed in December that from this season engine lives will be doubled and in-season testing (except at race weekends) will be stopped.

In 2010, refuelling will be banned while standard engines, costing around 6.5 million dollars a season, are set to be introduced.

"The FOTA technical regulations working group will now conclude the elimination of expensive materials and identify further opportunities to reduce the cost of components and systems which do not deliver performance differentiation," added the FOTA statement.

Helio Castroneves faces court date

2009-01-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Helio Castroneves will go on trial March 2 for tax evasion. He and his sister, Kati, who served as his business manager, have been indicted on seven counts of tax evasion for allegedly hiding $5.5 million in income in offshore accounts. They face up to 35 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Court filings indicate that a co-defendant, Alan R. Miller, a Michigan attorney may end up being a key figure in the defense. Attempts have been made to settle Miller's case so he would be available to testify on behalf of Castroneves.

Currently, Penske Racing is sticking with Castroneves, however they have inquired to determine the availability of other drivers including Sebastian Bourdais, Justin Wilson, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Penske Racing President told the Indy Star "We've talked to plenty of (drivers), but it's a bit more complicated because we want to stand by Helio as long as we can, or until we know what his situation is," Tim Cindric said. "Obviously, we have to have a backup plan if he isn't able to (drive)."

The IndyCar season begins April 5, a month after the trial is scheduled to begin.

Red Bull can thrive under new rules

2009-01-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes the combination of new rules for 2009 together with measures to cut costs will help Formula One's independent teams compete with their manufacturer-backed rivals.

Next season brings new aerodynamic rules, the return of slick tyres and the arrival of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) - all introduced with the intention of increasing overtaking.

In the wake of Honda's announcement last month that they are withdrawing from the sport, teams have also agreed cost-cutting measures including cheaper engines, a ban on in-season testing and limits on wind tunnel useage.

Horner predicted that the combination of a clean sheet of paper and the cost-cutting initiative could well allow independents without the seemingly limitless funds the manufacturers have possessed to shake things up.

He added that, given the strong backing of billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull Racing could be well placed to prosper.

"For an independent team like Red Bull Racing, the rules do create a more level playing field," Horner told autosport.com.

"With the restrictions that are coming into play, pretty much everyone has the same tools at their disposal.

"It's very easy to overlook that we are an independent team. We have got great strength of depth in people and the infrastructure is very strong.

"But as a non-works team, we lack the depth of manufacturer research and development and analysis. With the regulation changes, that becomes irrelevant.

"The regulation changes create opportunities and we will be looking to punch above our weight in 2009."

Red Bull's new Renault-powered RB5 will be unveiled on February 9 and Horner expressed satisfaction with both its progress and the presence of new recruit Sebastian Vettel.

"We're happy with what we have learned. It has been mainly focused on tyre evaluations and we're happy with what we have done," he added.

"Sebastian has settled into the team very quickly. Obviously he had done some running for us at the beginning of 2008 and in September.

"We're very content with our winter testing programme and are looking forward to the new car."

Jackie Stewart blasts Formula One chiefs

2009-01-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

FORMER world champion Sir Jackie Stewart blasted Formula One chiefs Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley in an interview on Monday, saying the time had come for them to step aside.

In an interview with The Times, Stewart said Ecclestone, Formula One's commercial rights-holder, had become far too powerful and was too close to Mosley, the president of F1 governing body the FIA.

He said Ecclestone played a key role in making F1 what it is today, 'but having done it, he now rules and nobody is up for taking on a battle with him'.

'Bernie has such power and influence that he could suffocate almost any performer who would dare to suggest that there must be change,' Stewart said, while also complaining that there was no plan for when the 78-year-old retires.

'He has been so used to total control that if you look at his structure you have to ask yourself 'is there a successor?' and you would say 'no'. That is wrong. The commercial reality has to be recognised ... and there has be continuity that the ageing process makes necessary,' Stewart said.

The F1 great also condemned the way revenues were apportioned as 'untenable", saying teams should get a greater share.

Stewart has not been shy to criticise the sport's set-up in the past, but said the fact that others would not speak out was unhealthy.

'They haven't looked after the house properly and the foundations are built on just this two-man working relationship,' Stewart said.

'This has evoked concern and apprehension on the part of those involved in the sport. When Max Mosley had the scandal erupt around him, how many team principals or owners spoke out? None.' He said the scandal last year - Mosley won damages from a British newspaper which reported he took part in a Nazi-themed sado-masochistic orgy with prostitutes - was a perfect opportunity to change leadership at the FIA.

'That opportunity has been overtaken by one man's insistence on remaining, which would have been impossible had it been an Olympic committee, the Football Association or a publicly held company,' he said.

'How can we accept that in a sport so dependent on multinational corporations and even governments for its revenues and which also requires a totally transparent and independent rule-making body?'

Source: London Times

Alonso unhurt in jet incident

2009-01-05T16:42:00.000-05:00

KENYA -- Renault's double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has had to delay his return from holidays in Kenya after being involved in a minor plane incident, the team said on Monday.

A spokesman said the Spaniard and his family were preparing to fly to Nairobi from team boss Flavio Briatore's vacation home in Malindi on Sunday when their private plane touched an airport building and damaged a wing.

Briatore was not on board the aircraft.

'It's not as serious as it appears on the Internet,' added the spokesman. 'But Fernando had to postpone his return and will fly back today.'

Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that the private plane had clipped a wing on the terminal building as it was preparing to take off.

Alonso won the 2005 and 2006 titles with Renault. He won two races for the team last year.

Source: REUTERS

Red Bull will put new car on track February 9

2009-01-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

Red Bull have announced that their new car, the RB5, will make its track debut at the Spanish circuit of Jerez on February 9.

The RB5 will be raced by new signing Sebastian Vettel, who replaces the retired David Coulthard, and incumbent Mark Webber. Both will be hoping to build on Red Bull's seventh-place finish in the 2008 constructors’ championship.