INDIA in F1

Tag: F1

  • Prithvi elected new FMSCI President, as King-maker `Hardy’ calls the shots

    By B David

    Chennai, 3 Feb 2014: J Prithviraj of Coimbatore Automotive Sports Club, an active council member in promoting the rallying in India for the last few years was announced as the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India while pre-election favourite Bharat Raj, of Karnataka Motor Sports Clubs, who pumped in monies in the last few years to keep the rallying scene alive in India, was forced to support the new team.

    It was Tutu Dhawan, who took Bharat Raj’s place as Vice-President in the Federation, which is under severe pressure to prove its efficiency and capability after the outgoing team’s high performance, at least, as far as Formula One is concerned.

    Just like FIA and Formula One, both of whom are steeped in secrecy as far as financial transparency is concerned, FMSCI will also come under the scanner as far as Governance and Transparency issues are concerned especially as the National body which is the ASN (Association recognised by FIA, the World Governing boday) has paid a hefty income tax which would have been avoided, had it spent the money on promoting sport at the grassroot level or sharing the booty with the hard-working Clubs, who are suffering for lack of funds. Motorsports experts in the country feel that had FMSCI spent the money sharing the expenses of running events with the clubs, they would not have ended up paying a huge amount in scores of lakhs to the Income Tax department.

    Coming to the elections, while Prithviraj serves as the President, Tutu Dhawan will be the Vice-President. The FMSCI also announced the formation of the new Governing Council for 2014-15 which will see the introduction of two new members. The change of guard promises a new direction that will focus on taking the sport to a higher level and the team and its members at various forums including Facebook, have expressed their inclination to come clean as far as transparency is needed. Prithvi, as he is popularly known in the rally circles, promised to look into the possibility of bringing the Federation under the ambit of RTI act.

    Prithviraj has been a part of the rallying scene for over two decades, both as a participant and organizer. He has been a councillor since 2007 and the Vice President of FMSCI for two years, being Chairman and a member of various FMSCI sub committees.

    Prithviraj was humbled to be elected President and commented, “I am honoured to be elected FMSCI President by my fellow councillors. Firstly I would like to thank the outgoing President and team for all their efforts over the years. As part of the last council our biggest achievement was bringing Formula One to India. Now our role will be to ensure we maximize the benefits of that to build national motorsport events across the country. The newly elected council is extremely excited of the task that lies ahead and I am confident that this is the perfect team to take the sport forward.”

    The newly-elected Council will focus on the following few areas for the year ahead. The first area of focus will be the fact that policies and procedures will take precedence and not just the people involved. Secondly the council will select the best man for the job to ensure that seamless running of the sport comes first. The third objective will be to ensure total access to all information with regard to all aspects of the Federation. The FMSCI will also continue to partner with the auto and auto ancillary manufacturers to increase their involvement in the sport.

    The FMSCI announced that they will launch an interactive website which will aim at making all event details easily accessible. From entry forms to regulations to schedules to officials to penalties everything will be made available on the website for everyone to see. Most importantly the online platforms will be interactive and open to queries and suggestions. There will also be an effort to ramp up marketing activities to ensure there is more reach and visibility for events.

     Prithviraj commented, “We will look at coming under the ambit of Rights to Information act. The sport has been built to this level with the help of the media and we are looking forward to their continued support as we march on. All these factors will help us in offering better support and returns to our promoters, sponsors and partners.”

    The FMSCI will also continue to make sure motorsports reaches all ends of the country from Kashmir  to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kohima. The North-East has already proved a popular motorsport venue with one of our promoters holding rallies there under the aegis of the FMSCI. The FMSCI will continue to give more importance to the region.

    Prithviraj also announced the forming of a advisory body which will work with auto manufacturers, partners and government. He commented, “The dedicated committee will be entrusted with the task of working closely with auto manufacturers and government officials. Motorsport is the perfect platform for auto majors to showcase their products and get maximum visibility out of it. We are very happy by the government’s decision to modify the trade policy to facilitate easy import of cars and motorcycles for racing events. We still feel there is a lot of work to be done”

    The results of the election were not announced immediately after the elections in Dec due to a court case filed by Sportscraft’s Shrikant Karani. The court ruled in his favour and struck down FMSCI stand that profit making bodies are not eligible to contest as per a recent amendment, but Karani chose to withdraw from the contest at a later stage.

    However, it was Sanjay Sharma of JK Tyre, who called the shots. Hardy, as he is popularly known represented as an alternate member of Himalayan Motorspord Club.

    Akbar Ebrahim - Meco, S Karani - PCRT, J Prithviraj - CASC, J Balmurugan - Spitfire, Sanjay Sharma, the kingmaker - HMSA. A photo by Adrenna
    Akbar Ebrahim – Meco, S Karani – PCRT, J Prithviraj – CASC, J Balmurugan – Spitfire, Sanjay Sharma, the kingmaker – HMSA. A photo by Adrenna

    He also addressed the Press Conference.

    Two new member clubs made their entry into the council joining the three founding members. The eight members of the council are:

    1. Coimbatore Auto Sports Club
    2. Karnataka Motor Sports Club
    3. Madras Motor Sports Club
    4. Performance Cars Racing Trust
    5. Meco Motorsports Pvt. Ltd.
    6.  Spitfire Motor Sports Pvt. Ltd.
    7. Motorsports Club of Chikmagalur
    8. Himalayan Motorsports Association

    ends

     

  • Pirelli collects minimal tyre data during Jerez testing; next stop Bahrain

    Jerez, 31 Jan 2014: Formula One’s new era got underway with four days of testing at Jerez (to be followed by two more four-day sessions in Bahrain next month) with teams trying out their new cars and the 2014 tyres for the first time.

    With such a revolutionary series of technical changes, running was considerably limited compared to last year, and very little tyre work was carried out.

    Nonetheless, the teams were able to have their first taste of Pirelli’s 2014 tyre range, which features new compounds and constructions. The teams could also try out the new Cinturato Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue wet on the second day, which was designated as a wet-weather test day. More rain then fell on Friday, providing another opportunity.

    Pirelli additionally brought a bespoke ‘winter’ version of the hard tyre to Jerez, designed to enable teams to maximise running even in low ambient temperatures (which dipped down to six degrees centigrade).

    Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director:

    “The emphasis was not on tyres during this test: instead the teams were simply trying to get an understanding of this radical new set of regulations and put the first kilometres onto their cars. With so much to understand about the new power units and aerodynamic rules, the teams aimed simply to increase their knowledge about the cars. The upcoming tests in Bahrain should allow them to focus on tyres a little more, having had two weeks to develop their cars and remedy any issues that have been identified at Jerez. We too are completely open, flexible and ready to adapt our tyres should the tests in Bahrain, where more meaningful running will take place, identify any need to do so. This year’s test regulations stipulate a day of wet weather running, which we were able to carry out on Wednesday morning. With more rain fallingon Friday, the teams had the opportunity to try out the wet-weather compounds before using them in race conditions.”

    Testing Facts:

    The opening day of running was extremely quiet, with just 93 laps completed from eight drivers and cars on Tuesday. The on-track action then ramped up, with teams attempting longer runs. The final day was the busiest day of the test, with 688 laps completed.

    Teams had a maximum of 25 sets of tyres each at their disposal for Jerez. In total, 18 of those sets were selected by Pirelli (six ‘winter’, four hard, two medium, and three each of intermediate and wet). The teams were then allowed to choose in advance seven more sets of tyres to test per car, up to their total maximum of 25. In total, 135 sets of tyres are allowed per team for testing purposes throughout 2014.

    Owing to the huge number of new variables at work, and the very wide spread of lap times seen throughout the four days, there was no real significance in the time difference between the compounds that were tested at Jerez. More meaningful tyre data should be seen in Bahrain, with all the teams expected to be present.

    More Testing Facts:

    A total of 22 drivers took part in the Jerez test, completing 1,470 laps and 6,509 kilometres.

    The equivalent Jerez test last year took in 3,531 laps and 15,634 kilometres.

    McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen set the fastest time of the Jerez test, with a time of 1m23.276s on Thursday. By way of comparison, the fastest time at the Jerez test last year was 1m17.879s, set by Felipe Massa in a Ferrari.

    The highest number of total laps completed at this year’s Jerez test by any one driver was Nico Rosberg, who racked up 188 laps with Mercedes.

    Testing numbers:

    • Total number of sets brought to Jerez: 250 sets which equals 1,000 tyres

    – of which supersoft tyres: 2 sets

    – of which soft tyres: 9 sets

    – of which medium tyres: 52 sets

    – of which hard tyres: 52 sets

    – of which ‘winter’ tyres: 69 sets

    – of which intermediate tyres: 36 sets

    – of which wet tyres: 30 sets

    • Total amount of sets used: 99

    – of which supersoft tyres: 1 sets

    – of which soft tyres: 2 sets

    – of which medium tyres: 23 sets

    – of which hard tyres: 11 sets

    – of which ‘winter’ tyres: 32 sets

    – of which intermediate tyres: 20 sets

    – of which wet tyres: 10 sets

    • Longest run: 10 laps on the supersoft compound

    9 laps of the soft compound

    17 laps on the medium compound

    24 laps on the hard compound

    23 laps on the ‘winter’ compound

    26 laps on the intermediate compound

    13 laps on the wet compound

    • Highest / lowest ambient temperature over four days: 17 °C / 5 °C
    • Highest / lowest track temperature over four days: 23 °C / 6 °C

    Testing Times:

    Day 1

    1. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1’27’’104s on Winter compound, New
    2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1’27’’820s on Winter compound, Used
    3. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1’30’’082s on Winter compound, Used

    Day 2

    1. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1’24.165s on Medium, New
    2. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1’24’’812s on Medium, Used
    3. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1’25’’344s on Winter compound, New

    Day 3

    1. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) 1’23’’276s on Medium, New
    2. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1’23’’700s on Hard, Used
    3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1’23’’952s on Medium, New

    Day 4

    1. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1’28’’229s, on Hard, New
    2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1’29’’145s, on Medium, Used
    3. Daniel Juncadella (Force India) 1’29’’457s, on Soft, New

    ends

    A Pirelli photo after Jerez testing on 31 Jan 2014.
    A Pirelli photo after Jerez testing on 31 Jan 2014.

  • Wet debut for Daniel Juncadella in Sahara Force India car

    Jerez, 31 Jan 2014: Sahara Force India wrapped up its first week of testing as Daniel Juncadella spent his first day in the VJM07.
    Day four statistic

    Daniel Juncadella makes his debut in a Force India car at Jerez. A Sahara Force India photo
    Daniel Juncadella makes his debut in a Force India car at Jerez. A Sahara Force India photo

    s:

    Chassis: VJM07-01
    Laps: 81 laps
    Mileage: 359 km
    Fastest lap: 1:29.457
    Classification: P3
    Daniel Juncadella: “It was my first day working with the team and it was a big challenge because of the tricky conditions. I took things very cautiously because I had never driven a Formula One car in the wet and for the whole day the track still had damp patches. It was a case of building up my confidence and learning how the team operates. It was a great experience and I made sure to make the most of it. We covered a lot of laps, which was a big improvement after quite a frustrating day yesterday. It’s what the team needed before the Bahrain test to really start understanding the car. I want to thank the team for today and I look forward to the rest of the season.”
    Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
    “The final day in Jerez has proved to be the most productive so far. Despite the mixed weather conditions, Daniel was able to cover 81 laps, which has given him valuable experience for his role as a reserve driver this season. The car has run reliably all day, which is a result of all the hard work carried out earlier in the week to resolve some of the initial reliability concerns. During these early days it’s paramount to get laps under our belt and over the last four days we have clocked up almost 650 km. It’s not been an easy test operationally, with lots of different challenges, but the whole team has done an extremely professional job to ensure we maximised the test days we had available.”
    ends

  • Eric Boullier appointed Racing Director as McLaren restructures senior management

    WOKING (SURREY, UK), 29 Jan 2014: McLaren Racing is pleased to announce that Eric Boullier has been appointed to the position of Racing Director, effective Monday February 3rd.

    A press release said, Eric is one of the most capable trackside leaders in Formula 1. He has played the central role in Lotus F1 Team’s recent successes, and brings with him extensive single-seater motorsport experience, having worked in senior positions in World Series by Nissan and A1 Grand Prix before moving up to Formula 1.

    Working with Jonathan Neale (Chief Operating Officer) and his senior management colleagues within McLaren Racing, Eric will ultimately report to the Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing, an all-new position, whose yet-to-be-appointed occupant will in turn report directly to Ron Dennis (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Group).

    Until such time as a Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing has been appointed, Jonathan Neale will be acting in that role.

    Eric Boullier said: “First of all, I regard this appointment as an honour, a privilege and a wonderful opportunity.

    “The McLaren Racing workforce and the facilities at the McLaren Technology Centre are world-class, and I’m hugely excited about the prospect of joining such an outstanding team.

    “I’m both eager and determined to play an active part, working alongside McLaren Racing’s other senior managers and directors, within a new operational structure, to bring about the changes that will deliver success.

    “Last, I want to take this opportunity to assure the McLaren Racing workforce that I’m utterly determined to match their famous passion and commitment to win.”

    Ron Dennis said: “Eric’s appointment is an integral part of a senior management restructure within McLaren Racing.

    “I’ve already personally conveyed to the entire workforce of the McLaren Group, which includes McLaren Racing, the values, principles and mindset that I intend us all to adopt, going forward. My intention is that from now on everyone at McLaren Racing will understand their responsibilities and accountabilities, focusing on their specific areas of expertise, in keeping with those values, principles and mindset.

    “In due course we’ll announce the identity of McLaren Racing’s new Chief Executive Officer, who’ll report to me, and to whom Eric will report.

    “I’m firmly of the belief that, once McLaren Racing’s restructured senior management team has been assembled, together we’ll begin the march back to full competitiveness, quickly and professionally, harnessing the fantastic depth of talent that exists within our organisation.”

    -Ends-

    Eric Boullier, a McLaren photo
    Eric Boullier, a McLaren photo

  • McLaren reveals MP4-29, ready for 2014 Formula One

    Woking (UK), 24 Jan 2014: A period of unprecedented change – both in Formula 1 and within the team itself – is the backdrop against which McLaren launches its latest grand prix challenger, the all-new MP4-29.

    2014: Formula 1 begins its reinvention

    Gone are normally aspirated engines – a Formula 1 mainstay for a quarter of a century; in their place come 1.6-litre V6 power-units, which sophisticatedly integrate turbo-charging and turbo-compounding, fuel-flow restrictions, and a powerful energy recovery system,  a release said.

    These new regulations will enable teams to harness both traditional internal combustion and electrical energies. They further underline Formula 1’s relevance as a pioneer of future roadcar technologies, represent the biggest and most dynamic change to the sport since its inception in 1950, and are duly destined to re-shape grand prix racing.

    McLaren, too, faces a period of dynamic change: the organisation has not only embraced the extreme technical and strategic challenges posed by the new regulations, it has simultaneously been growing and developing ahead of even bigger and more exciting future partnerships.

    MP4-29: a frozen snapshot of intense development

    We have responded to the disappointment of our 2013 season by pragmatically framing our approach to the technical challenge. The new MP4-29, revealed today, is a sensible and calculated response to the new regulations.

    But it is very much a frozen snapshot of the design team’s steep development curve, and, as such, a machine that will potentially undergo more technical change throughout a single season than any other car in McLaren’s long and illustrious history.

    The challenge for 2014 is to build-in both performance and reliability – something that can no longer be taken for granted given the steep technical challenge ahead.

    And that is entirely as it should be: for this season will be Formula 1’s steepest-ever learning curve.

    It is also a time of transition. Our final season with our engine partner, Mercedes-Benz, will be our 20thtogether, before we begin an exciting new journey with Honda from 2015.

    Our drivers: the perfect blend of styles

    Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, remains for his fifth season at McLaren. For 2014, his experience, level-headedness and innate ability to read the behaviour of a racing car will be a powerful asset to our engineers, designers and analysts.

    Kevin Magnussen arrives in Formula 1 with a stunning record in Renault Word Series 3.5, grand prix racing’s feeder series, and, crucially, no preconceptions. Having already devoted hundreds of hours to refining and developing our 2014 car in the McLaren simulator, his eagerness and commitment will sync perfectly with Jenson’s experience, providing us with a perfectly balanced driver pairing.

    Powering the market with world-beating expertise

    McLaren is leading the evolution of sports partnerships. The breadth of the McLaren Group’s experience and expertise presents a wealth of opportunities for innovative technical integration with our partners, which can have an impact way beyond the racetrack.

    Whether it be extensive engagement with ExxonMobil to develop new lubricant technology, which can help McLaren Mercedes cars on the grand prix circuit, and ultimately improve the efficiency of consumer cars; developing new lightweight coatings with AkzoNobel; or working closely with SAP to develop and implement innovative data analytics techniques, our work with partners goes way beyond what can be described as sports sponsorship.   

    Our strategic partnership with GSK is now also in its third year and is breaking new ground from manufacturing to pharmaceutical R&D.

    Race technology is helping to improve the delivery of experimental trials into new medicines. Working with GSK we are using telemetry systems, which are inspired by the way we monitor our cars, to collect real-time data about the recovery of patients taking part in drug trials. These are at an early stage, but in future it’s hoped that being able to take a constant stream of reliable information about a patient could significantly enhance the already robust process of drug evaluation.

    Our commitment to innovation and creativity does not stop with technology projects, but extends to the implementation of marketing campaigns with and on behalf of our partners. Santander recently announced a renewal of their major eight-year partnership with us, and this reflects the continued impact that our creative marketing campaigns can have.

    The depth of trust and respect we enjoy with our partners has allowed us to extend record-breaking relationships with the likes of Hugo Boss (33 years), TAG Heuer (29 years), Kenwood (24 years), ExxonMobil and Mercedes-Benz (20 years) and SAP (16 years), Johnnie Walker and Hilton (nine years).

    JONATHAN NEALE

    Managing director, McLaren Racing

    Formula 1 in 2014 is all about managing change – how is McLaren going about that?

    “We’ve never had such significant new regulations before; reacting to them, and managing those changes, while still pushing the performance limits, has been an extremely tough job.

    “We’ve been relatively pragmatic about it. We know that the need for consistency initially outweighs the need for performance – the winter tests won’t be about chasing set-up or refining the car; the envelope of performance is likely to be so wide, and so relatively unknown, that the winter – and to some extent the opening races – will be about understanding the operational boundaries of the car as best we can.

    “To achieve this, we need a consistent platform – one that responds positively to changes. Moreover, the work of the engineers and designers to understand and interpret trackside data will be more important than before. That’s because this year, more than ever, will come down to a development race: I don’t necessarily think you can expect the car that wins the opening race to be the car that leads the championship charge, something we’ve often seen in the past.

    “No, it will be all about a team’s ability to react and respond. We already have an update package that we’re readying for race one, and we’re discovering new things in the ’tunnel, or in CFD, all the time. Once we start track testing, I think you’ll see an intense throughput of ideas and concepts – that’s the nitty-gritty that will win or lose the world championship.”

    There’s a greater backdrop of change at McLaren, too, isn’t there?

    “A team with a fantastic heritage like McLaren is always faced with the challenge of continually winning races and championships. Equally, there’s a responsibility to move the organisation – and our processes – forwards. In fact, we’ll be doing just that during 2014: pushing ahead with an incredible amount of effort, analysis and commitment on the racetrack, but also making changes away from the track that will reap a greater dividend in the long term.

    “There’s a huge amount of talent and potential already extant within the organisation, but there’s always more to discover. And we’ve made some very important key additions who’ll have a significant input into our future momentum – we’re incredibly pleased and excited to have hired the likes of Peter Prodromou and Dan Fallows, both from Red Bull Racing, and Ettore Griffini and Ciaron Pilbeam from Lotus, as well as more than a dozen top-level engineers from among the best teams in Formula 1, all of whom have seen the capacity and potential that exists here at McLaren.

    “Nonetheless, this is a long-term process, and this year will be about developing and growing McLaren to a position where we can once again fight at the front.”

    What are your thoughts on the driver pairing of Jenson and Kevin?

    “We all know and like Jenson very much – he’s an integral part of this team now. And Kevin has shown such fantastic promise – both in the junior series, and on the occasions that he has tested for us – that it made absolute sense to develop him as our race driver.

    “I really think the beauty of our driver line-up comes from its strength and structure through sheer contrast. In Jenson, we have Formula 1’s unofficial ambassador, somebody who provides us with an unprecedented databank of experience; we can really work with him as we learn together how to develop and refine this year’s car.

    “In Kevin, I see a raw, unfettered enthusiasm and a fearsome work ethic. His arrival has been a terrific motivator for the entire team, and I’ve been really pleased and impressed by the way he’s thrown himself into the process. While he’ll naturally need time to acclimatise, we’re undoubtedly of the opinion that he’s ready for F1.

    “Additionally, we have Stoffel Vandoorne as our reserve – another driver whose long-term potential is tantalising. He’ll have an increasingly complementary role alongside our two drivers – he’ll be attending all the races where GP2 is on the support bill, and will be heavily dialed in to our trackside operations as we ramp up his learning and experience.

    “I think we have a fantastic line-up, and the best thing is that each driver will motivate and inform the other – it’s a win-win situation for the whole team.”

    SAM MICHAEL

    Sporting director, McLaren Racing

    What are McLaren’s expectations for 2014?

    “We’ve made no secret of our disappointment at how the 2013 season turned out. The aim now is to get back to winning – that’s what McLaren exists to do – but there’s a certain amount of growth and regrowth that needs to take place before we return to a position where we can challenge for the world championship.

    “The good thing is that we’ve acknowledged that, and we’ve actually been working towards that goal for many months now. We have Honda waiting in the wings, we have a number of key technical staff bolstering our existing design and engineering teams, and we are fostering the careers of our young drivers, all of whom have an incredible amount of potential. The future for McLaren is bright, and we’re now putting in place the processes that will move us closer to our goals.

    “For 2014, our aim is for continuous development; we’ll be refining and strengthening the car and the organisation throughout the year, so you’ll see a rapid turnover of parts and ideas on the car as we, like every team, wrestle with the many unique challenges of these new regulations.

    “More immediately, our aim is to enjoy a smooth winter at all three tests, hopefully learning a lot as we go, and hopefully developing MP4-29 into something consistent, useable and quick.”

    How do you balance the equation of reliability vs performance?

    “I think the key to the first quarter of the season could well be consistency. It’ll be critical in the pre-season tests – firstly, to enable the drivers and engineers to learn about and understand the behavior of the new car; but, secondly, to provide us with the mileage and data our designers at the MTC need to further refine and develop the car for the year ahead.

    “It’ll be a season of complexity and subtlety; we won’t find ourselves in a situation where the guy who wins the first race goes on to win the championship, I think it’ll be unpredictable and exciting – and that’s fantastic news for Formula 1’s fans.

    “One thing is for certain, though, there’ll be a lot of cross-pollination of ideas during the season as the best concepts and solutions proliferate. We’re proud of some of the concepts we’ll be introducing with this car but, likewise, there’ll be areas where we can learn and improve.

    “In fact, I think constant learning and improvement will be the key motifs of 2014.”

    OUR DRIVERS – READY FOR ANYTHING

    In Jenson and Kevin, we have both the sport’s most respected senior ambassador and its newest and most promising young hopeful, respectively.

    Jenson has proven again and again that his unmatched experience, application and supreme natural ability make him perhaps the perfect driver to spearhead the development and integration of the myriad of new systems introduced for 2014.

    Kevin is motivated, incredibly focused and eager to learn. Everybody at McLaren has not only been convinced by Kevin’s raw pace and commitment, but also by his ability to channel his determination and thoughts with singular and unblemished dedication.

    Only 21, he is unmistakeably ready for Formula 1, and is prepared and equipped for the intense and steep learning curve ahead of him.

    Our test and reserve driver, 21-year-old Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, is the most promising racer outside Formula 1. He will combine a full year of racing in GP2, with the ART team, with his duties as McLaren’s reserve driver – a role that will naturally dovetail with his racing activities at all coinciding events.

    Both Kevin and Stoffel are outstanding protégés of the McLaren Young Driver system.

    ends

    MP4-29, the McLaren Challenger for 2014 season. A McLaren Mercedes photo
    MP4-29, the McLaren Challenger for 2014 season. A McLaren Mercedes photo

  • Lotus anounces Gerard Lopez as Team Principal

    Enstone, 24 Jan 2014: In order to continue strengthening its management structure, to further increase Genii’s role in the team and to close the gap between its strategic, commercial and sporting activities, Lotus F1 Team is pleased to announce that its co-Chairman, Gérard Lopez, will combine his position on the board with the role of Team Principal with immediate effect. As a result, the other chairmanship responsibilities will be shared with co-Chairman Andy Ruhan.

    The team will announce the arrival of new commercial partners and sponsors when it unveils its 2014 car, the E22, at the beginning of the first Bahrain pre-season test in February. The team will also confirm its organisational structure for 2014 ahead of this test. The team management, car and partner portfolio will illustrate the team’s will and desire to continue its quest to become one of the strongest teams in Formula 1 in every sense.

    Gérard Lopez, co-Chairman and Team Principal:
    “Lotus F1 Team has never stood still and we head into what promises to be an exciting 2014 season with an innovative new car, new partners and a new management structure at Enstone. Great things have been achieved over the past years and we need to continue this momentum. With this in mind, we are proud to announce that we have concluded an agreement with YotaPhone and its shareholders. YotaPhone shareholders will become important partners to Genii and YotaPhone a sponsor to the Lotus F1 team this year. We thank Eric for all his hard work over the past four years and we are confident we can continue to fight as one of the top teams in Formula 1 over the seasons ahead.”

    ends

  • Daniel Juncadella joins Sahara Force India as reserve driver

    Silverstone, 24 Jan 2014: Sahara Force India announced on Friday that Spain’s Daniel Juncadella would be joining as a reserve driver for the 2014 season.
    According to a press release, the 22-year-old will attend all races with the team and take part in several Friday practice sessions to gain valuable track time and experience behind the wheel of the VJM07.
    In addition to his duties with Sahara Force India, Daniel’s racing focus will remain on the DTM with Mercedes-Benz.
    Reserve driver Daniel Juncadella joins driver line-up for 2014. A Sahara Force India photo
    Reserve driver Daniel Juncadella joins driver line-up for 2014. A Sahara Force India photo
    Team Principal and Managing Director Vijay Mallya, said: “Daniel is an exciting prospect and I am delighted to welcome him to Sahara Force India. Over the last few years we have always tried to support young, talented drivers and we will continue down this path by giving Daniel the opportunity to drive the VJM07 on Fridaymornings at selected races. Daniel will also play an important role in our simulator programme at the factory, which remains an increasingly important development tool.”
    ends
    Daniel Juncadella: “Joining Sahara Force India is a dream come true. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to learn and will hopefully take me a step closer to eventually racing in Formula One. To work with the team at the track and in the factory will give me some valuable experience and I will do my best to make a contribution to help the team achieve its goals in 2014.”

  • World Motor Sport Council meets at Geneva

    Geneva, 23 Jan 2014: An extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) took place today (23 January) in Geneva, Switzerland. The following decisions were taken according to an FIA release:

    FIA logo1FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

    The FIA President reaffirmed to members of the WMSC the FIA’s intention to assure a healthy, affordable and spectacular FIA Formula One World Championship for the long-term future. At a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group yesterday, chaired by the FIA President, and attended by Bernie Ecclestone and the teams, it was unanimously agreed that cost reduction and cost control regulations will be presented to the WMSC in June 2014 for introduction in January 2015.

    Amendments to the 2014 Sporting Regulations were also approved, but are subject to ratification by the F1 Commission and teams. These include:

    • The Stewards may now impose a five second time penalty which can be taken before work is carried out on the car in a pit stop
    • Team personnel must also wear helmets during qualifying, as well as the race
    • Drivers may not stop on the slowing down lap to save fuel for sampling and subsequent analysis; this will not be considered justifiable reason for stopping
    • For 2014 only, each team will be allowed six curfew ‘jokers’, previously there were two permitted. This is to allow more flexibility for working on the new engines and cars

    Amendments to the 2014 Technical Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission and teams:

    • The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 691kg at all times during the Event. The weight limit has increased by 1kg to take into account the difference in weight between the tyres in 2013 and 2014

    Amendments to the 2015 Sporting Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission:

    • To be considered as a constructor, teams will now not need to design and manufacture suspension and brake ducts

    Amendments to the 2015 Technical Regulations, subject to agreement of the F1 Commission:

    • The car minimum weight has been increased by 10kg, to 701kg, for 2015
    • All tyre heating devices will be prohibited in 2015
    • For safety reasons, the front part of the chassis will not be able to climb too steeply rearward of the front of the chassis.

    FUNDING REVIEW COMMISSION

    With the framework for the implementation of the 2013 Concorde Agreement relating to Formula One having come into force – which provides the FIA with significantly improved financial means to pursue its regulatory missions – the WMSC has approved the creation of a task force charged with identifying key objectives and missions for the FIA and its membership. The newly-created Funding Review Commission will be divided into sub-commissions for both sport and mobility, chaired by Deputy Presidents Graham Stoker and Brian Gibbons respectively.

    Within sport, and under the responsibility of the FIA President, the intention is to develop programmes to reinforce the growth of the FIA and its Championships, and motor sport in general. In addition, the Funding Review Commission and the sport sub-commission will be responsible for identifying areas in which the FIA can further enhance the work of the ASNs.

    Proposals will be subject to approval by the FIA Senate. Nick Craw, President of the FIA Senate, will be permanently invited to every meeting session.

    Graham Stoker, FIA Deputy President for Sport, was nominated as Chairman of the Commission and will be supported by the following associates representing the global FIA membership:

    Jose Abed (Americas)

    Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah (Middle East)

    Morrie Chandler (Pacific region)

    Heping Wan (Asia region)

    Surinder Thatthi (Africa)

    Nicolas Deschaux (West Europe)

    Zrinko Gregurek (East Europe)

    Garry Connelly (FIA Institute)

    OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE PRESIDENT FOR THE CO-ORDINATION OF ZONES AND THE REGIONS

    With the goal of increasing co-ordination between ASNs across the zones and regions, an official representative has been appointed; Nicolas Deschaux (FRA). The plan is to perform an audit on the level of activity of each of the zones and regions recognised by the FIA, and at the regional level in general; and to harmonise the status of the zones and regions (procedures for appointing the co-ordinators, length of mandate, etc.) and clarification of the zones’ relations with the FIA and its specialised commissions.

    HISTORIC MOTOR SPORT

    The WMSC approved the Historic Motor Sport Commission’s nominations for the presidencies of the sub-commissions and working group as follows:

    Vehicle Compliance Sub‐Commission                                  Jan Mienkinsky (AUT)

    Historic Rally Sub‐Commission                                            Rod Parkin (GBR)

    Historic Technical Working Group                                        Simon Hadfield (GBR)

    Historic Hill Climb Sub‐Commission                                     Stan Minarik (CZE)

    Historic Regulations and Appendix K Sub‐Commission          Alessandro Degan (ITA)

    Historic Circuit Sub‐Commission                                          TBA

    GT

    At its December 2013 meeting, the WMSC agreed that an FIA label may be granted to each interested GT International Series upon payment of a specific license fee and subject to compliance with a certain number of criteria to be defined by the FIA.

    Today, the members of the WMSC approved guidelines that will assist in the standardisation of regulations, in particular relating to Balance of Performance and the list of FIA drivers’ categorisation, both of which will be provided by the FIA to each Promoter of the Series concerned. One-year contracts will be granted to International GT Series’ sanctioned by the FIA and only GT category cars homologated by the FIA will be permitted to compete in these Series. Marketing, communication and sporting support will be provided to each Promoter.

    SECRETARY GENERAL FOR SPORT

    FIA President Jean Todt led a motion of thanks and sincere appreciation to Pierre de Coninck, Secretary General for Sport for the past 32 years, who has requested to step down from his duties as of 31 January. Pierre de Coninck will continue to bring his invaluable expertise to the development of the FIA as Adviser to the President.

    The members of the WMSC approved the recruitment of Jean-Louis Valentin, as proposed by the FIA President and FIA Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker, starting from 1 February 2014.

    ends

  • Williams reveals first image of Williams Mercedes FW36

    Grove (UK), 23 Jan 2014: Williams today released the first images of its 2014 challenger: the Williams Mercedes FW36. The FW36 is one of the most technologically advanced Formula One cars produced by Williams. It is the culmination of more than two years research and development by the team’s technical departments in Grove and it incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz, a release said.

    “There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year,” says Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds. “We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.”

    To meet the challenges of the new power unit, Williams signed the deal with Mercedes Benz High Performance Powertrains midway through last season. The team received the first CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data for the power unit at the end of May, at which point the detailed design of the FW36 could begin to be finalised.

    “This is the first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1 and we’ve been very impressed,” says Symonds. “Their professionalism and commitment have been notable and we’re as confident as we can be that the power unit will be competitive.”

    The design phase of the FW36 was completed by mid-September, by which time the team had found solutions to the major challenges presented by the regulations. Cooling, weight, a new gearbox and aerodynamic changes are just some of the areas of focus.

    “Overall the cars will need more cooling this year,” says Symonds. “The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

    The FW36’s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.

    “We finished the gearbox relatively early,” says Symonds. “It’s completed a lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new ‘box and it has to cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”

    The weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent crash tests, has been another challenge of the 2014 rules. But the FW36 was one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.

    “The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” says Symonds. “But it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier than the outgoing V8.”

    The launch-spec aerodynamic package was finalised in the first week of December, with an upgrade package for Melbourne’s season-opener signed off in early January.

    “F1 is still going to be an aerodynamic formula in 2014,” says Symonds. “There are some significant changes: the nose is lower than last year and the front wing is narrower, which means the end plates are now more shrouded by the front tyre. The rear wing isn’t as deep as last year and the beam wing below it is no longer permitted, and we’ve also lost the ability to use the exhaust to enhance aero performance.”

    Until the car begins testing next week the team won’t know how its design solutions will translate onto the track, but Symonds is confident that Williams has done enough to move up the grid after a disappointing 2013 season.

    “I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” says Symonds. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

    Photo by Williams F1 team
    Photo by Williams F1 team

    Ends

  • McLaren Mercedes announce renewed partnership with Santander

    Woking, (Surrey, UK), 23 Jan 2014: McLaren Mercedes today announced that Santander, the largest bank in the eurozone and one of the biggest banks in the world, has renewed its long term corporate partnership with the team.

    Since 2007, Santander and McLaren Mercedes have formed one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1.  McLaren has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Santander brand in the UK and with ground breaking initiatives, such as the 2012 London Grand Prix campaign, the partnership has delivered a consistent, demonstrable impact. 

    For the past four years Jenson Button has also been a key ambassador for the company, fronting major marketing campaigns, staff engagement initiatives and playing a central role in Santander’s global University’s Scholarship Programme. 

    Jenson Button will continue to play a significant role in Santander campaigns as the partnership progresses.

    Meanwhile, Norton Rose Fulbright has entered into an innovative corporate partnership with the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team and has been appointed as the global legal advisor to the McLaren Group.

    Keith Moor, Chief Marketing Officer, Santander said: “Santander and McLaren have formed a long term partnership and together we have set new standards in sports marketing.  Our decision to renew that relationship is not something that we have taken lightly, but it is based upon a proven track record of achievement and we are pleased to continue to be in partnership with one of the most iconic brands in global sport.”

    Ekrem Sami, Managing Director of McLaren Marketing said: “Once again, a global blue chip brand has chosen to partner with McLaren Mercedes.  We are delighted to be able to continue our extremely productive relationship with Santander, a company that has supported us for a number of years and has committed to be part of our exciting future.  In such a competitive international sponsorship market, the fact that such a prestigious company has chosen to partner with McLaren Mercedes is a reflection of the strength of our brand, our proven track record of delivery and the power of Formula 1 to reach an avid, affluent and influential audience.”

    McLaren Mercedes’ roster of sponsors remains the envy of Formula 1, with some of the longest and most established partnerships in sport. For example, Hugo Boss has been with the team for 33 years, Tag Heuer for 29 years, Mobil 1 for 20 years and SAP for 16 years. These have been joined by leading global corporations including GSK, Johnnie Walker, Hilton and AkzoNobel.

    Santander logo McLarenNote on Santander and McLaren:

    Santander UK plc is a full-service retail and commercial bank providing services to some 15 million active customers, with almost 1,200 branches and 37 regional Corporate Business Centres.  It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander SA. Santander UK plc manages its affairs autonomously with its own local management team responsible for its performance. Santander UK is firmly focused on the UK with c. 98% of customer assets UK-related and c. 80% of customer loans consisting of prime residential mortgages to UK customers. The total balance sheet remains UK focused, with a minimal net exposure after collateral to eurozone periphery countries only amounting to c. 0.6% of total assets. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.

    Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N, BNC.LN) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with a presence in 10 main markets. Santander is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.342 trillion in managed funds, 102 million customers, 14,680 branches – more than any other international bank – and 186,785 employees at the close of June 2013. It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America. It also has significant positions in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Poland and the northeast United States. In the first half of 2013, Santander registered EUR 2,255 million in attributable profit, an increase of 29% from the same period of the previous year.

    McLaren

    McLaren Group is an organisation with one goal: to win.

    McLaren Group is a dynamic group of high technology companies, whose rapid growth is built on the shared principles of innovation, creativity and commitment to excellence. It comprises McLaren Racing, McLaren Automotive and McLaren Applied Technologies.

    McLaren Racing entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966 and won its first Grand Prix at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium in 1968. More than 40 years and 182 Grand Prix victories later, McLaren is still renowned as one of the sport’s most successful competitors and as one of the world’s most illustrious high-technology brands.

    McLaren Applied Technologies is one of McLaren Group’s most diverse and fast-moving businesses and has a mission to achieve breakthroughs in performance using advanced technology and design.  With expertise in modelling, simulation, design engineering and human high performance, their expertise covers markets including sport, energy, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

    McLaren Group is committed to sustainability. Continuous innovation and careful environmental management has enabled McLaren Mercedes to be the first Formula 1 team to retain the Carbon Trust Standard and to be declared ‘carbon neutral’.

    ends