F1 Soap Box – All the Noise About the Lack of Noise in F1

Ron Walker, the promoter of the F1 race in Melbourne, has been making all kinds of stink about the quieter engines that graced the streets of Albert Park.  Even before the FIA excluded the Australian Daniel Ricciardo from his podium, the newspapers were printing vitriol about the lack of engine noise.  Add this to the fact that there is growing resentment from the citizens that the Queensland government continues to shell out an exorbitant $50 million a year to subsidize the race, it would be fair to say that the…

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F1 Soap Box – Car Launch Edition

Caterham Launch Caterham is the only team so far to unveil their 2012 challenger. They appear to be taking some design cues from Red Bull with their engine cowling, which isn’t too unexpected since RBR were indomitable last year and since Caterham is using RBR’s KERS system and gearbox. What immediately stands out is Caterham’s solution to the FIA’s new regulations on the nose. First, the nose had to be higher this year, also there are regulations calling for different heights for the top surface of the nose and the…

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F1 Soap Box – Everybody Loves the 2013 Engines…. Right?

Jean Todt’s FIA has been getting pushback from some of the teams and the current commercial rights holder regarding the plan to introduce 1.6L 4-cylinder power plants in F1 for 2013.  Bernie Ecclestone has made claims that the unique noise generated by the current V8 is one of the prime things that keep people coming back for more, while Ferrari has taken every opportunity to indicate that 4-cylinder engines do not fit F1 or Ferrari’s DNA.  So, why the disgruntlement with the new engines?  And what are the implications of…

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F1 Soap Box – Changing the Goalposts

The world of F1 has an interesting argument brewing.  The FIA is reinterpreting their rulebook and is now in the process of banning some of the exotic engine mapping techniques that the teams are using to gain downforce in the corners. Last year, Red Bull stunned the paddock by venting their engine exhausts directly onto their rear diffuser.  In qualifying, they would use a different engine map that would keep engine revs high, even when the driver was not applying throttle at all.  This allowed the car to gain additional…

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F1 Soap Box – The Gathering Concorde Storm

If you thought the last round of Concorde Agreement talks were wild and wooly, with a threatened breakaway series and posturing galore from FOTA, well aren’t you in for a treat in the coming months. Some strange forces are aligning as we hear more details about the supposed News Corp interest and with Ferrari sounding off about their displeasure with the current state of F1 and the future technical package. The Timeframe and Players The current Concorde Agreement expires at the end of this season, so this means the teams…

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F1 Soap Box – 2012 Venues Under Threat

Bahrain The May 1 deadline imposed by the FIA for Bahrain to reapply for a 2011 race date is upon us. But don’t look for a grand reshuffling of the season finale races to take place to allow Bahrain to slot in around Abu Dhabi. The situation continues to worsen in the tiny kingdom as Saudi troops have been blowing up Shia mosques and similar such things. While it is in Formula One Management’s (FOM) best interests to get this race rescheduled, the FIA is likely to spurn any attempt…

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OP-ed – Looking Forward to Sebring 60th Next Year

An OP-ed submitted by Barry Foster, aka “MisterMedia20”, aka “trackside”, detailing plans for next year’s 60th running at Sebring.  We can start to look forward to it now and make our 2011 plans accordingly. It may seem like a long time away, but 2012 is actually right around the corner for a number of those preparing to celebrate landmark anniversaries in Sebring. Next year represents the centennial anniversary for the city of Sebring, the 75th year for the Highlands County Fair, the 70th annuversary of the Sebring Regional Airport and…

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IndyCar – Track Layout for Edmonton Indy 2011

The IZOD IndyCar Series released the revised track layout for the 2011 Edmonton Indy race. In our Open Paddock exclusive marked up google map image, you can see the new track layout compared with the old track layout. Interesting that you can see the rubber laid down from the past exploits of the Champ Car and IndyCar visits. As you can see, it appears that no additional pavement will need to be laid for the racing circuit. However, the same cannot be said for the pit and paddock area. For…

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