A recent autosport article has indicated that French manufacturer Peugeot are working on a 2011 replacement to their current 24hr of Le Mans challenger. Team manager Serge Saulnier had suggested that Peugeot would remain in sportscar longer than the shelf life of the 908. 2010 will be the final year for the current LMP1 engine formula and with the state of the global economic climate, a 2010 model was quickly scratched. 2011 will introduce fresh and steady regulations that will be better for developing a race car. This news reinforces…
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Chinese Grand Prix Preview
The F1 traveling circus has left the WMSC and is now heading to Shanghai, China for the Chinese Grand Prix. This event has been moved from the end of the year and now settles in as the third stop on tour. The race has been struggling as of late and attendance is not what it was before. So much so, that the race has been mentioned as being scrapped if numbers do not improve. Where have I heard that before? Brawn GP and Jenson Button will be the favorites…
Read MoreDiffuser is Ruled Legal
After a day full of testimony and saber rattling, the diffuser row has finally come to an end. The Times Online is reporting that the double diffuser that many teams stated were illegal have been given the thumbs up by the WMSC. While keeping the championship standings the same, we now will see who will have a new diffuser lined up for Shanghai this weekend and if those without can keep pace. I am happy to see that the WMSC made the right decision. However, I am also still very…
Read MoreVolkswagon Returns to IRC Competition
The German manufacturer Volkswagen is making a return to the IRC competition with its latest installment of the Polo Super 2000. Rene Georges Rally Sport will be the team and young Frenchman Julien Maurin will be the driver. The car has ran paces in tarmac testing and will be put to the gravel in a final test before the debut in the Sata Rally Azores from 7-9 May. The team have been developing the car nearly all offseason and hope to bring home some solid points and great developmental information as…
Read MoreProdrive to Contest More Rallies?
This weekend marked the return of Prodrive into the realm of WRC for the first time since Subaru pulled out from the sport during this off season. With Marcus Gronholm at the wheel the team seemed poised for a podium finish only to have an accident on day 2 take them out of competition. The team has made no announcement about which rallies they will contest and it is also unknown if Marcus will be back behind the wheel. One thing that could not be overlooked was the atmosphere Gronholm…
Read MorePlato to Run Lacetti in Opener
Jason Plato has decided just days prior to the BTCC opener on 5 April, that he will run a spec 2008 Chevrolet Lacetti at Brands Hatch. Plato has gone jobless since Seat left the series at the end of last year. The deal at this point is not covering the whole year, however if results can be put together and funding made available Plato says he will remain. The 2008 Lacetti will be run under the RML squad. The team had been running the Seat works program since 2004. Plato…
Read MoreWhat Went Wrong
The first round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship has come and gone. The hype is over and what was thought to be a dream has now settled into reality. Jenson Button and Brawn GP are for real and the top teams are left asking themselves what is next. They however should not be the only ones asking that question. The radical rule changes that were put in place for this year’s championship were seen every time a car flashed past the camera. The idea to radically change the…
Read MoreBrawn Storm to Front Row
In what can be called one of the more shocking outcomes in F1, Brawn GP has definitively taken the front row in Melbourne. The Mercedes powered cars ran blistering laps all through practice and set the track alive during Qualifications. Jenson Button took his first pole since Australia in 2006 while teammate Barrichello finished second. Third place went to Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull Racing team. Third place is a splendid result after a terrible Friday practice. The Ferrari’s could only muster the bottom of the top ten and…
Read MoreProdrive Showoff Gronholm STI
Prodrive has officially revelaed the new STI that Marcus Gronholm will make his one off run in Portugal. The car is painted with the colors of the Portuguese Tourist Board. Gronholm will step back into the car for the first time in 16 months. He first will run a test in Wales and then step up the pace and perform a more rugged shakedown. The true question is what kind of impact will Gronholm have in the points race? We all know that Gronholm is one of the best drivers…
Read MoreFIA Resigns New Point Sytem to 2010
After the FIA announced the WMSC decisions taken on Monday, the F1 media, the teams, the drivers and even the past champions were in a bit of an uproar. The FIA unilaterally decided that the point system be changed so that the driver who had the most wins in the 2009 season and beyond would be the winner of the World Driver’s Championship, regardless of if he had more points than anyone else. This on top of new sweeping regulations for 2010 which would call for a voluntary team budget…
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