The F60's exhaust system may be illegal.
Check out this link:
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090119145200.shtml
Check out this link:
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090119145200.shtml
F1: Pre-season
- Thread starter melvin
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Ugly and weird also ... more over taking meaning more snapping of the front wing looks so fragile was worried they might snap under high speed or when negoiating a bend or curve! :sweatsm:
Dun think its a big prob and wun affect the team!
Canew
Senior Member
The exhaust system was deemed illegal by a magazine, not FIA.
"Ferrari's newly launched F60 challenger is 'illegal' according to Auto Motor und Sport."
The season has not started... things will get sorted out b4 Australia...
Somehow i sense Ferrari will not be as competitive as last yr...
BMW might be a surprise...as well as Honda (i noe im crazy but u never write off Ross Brawn who is the actual mastermind in Schumi dominant...)
Somehow i sense Ferrari will not be as competitive as last yr...
BMW might be a surprise...as well as Honda (i noe im crazy but u never write off Ross Brawn who is the actual mastermind in Schumi dominant...)
Canew
Senior Member
flowerpot, has Honda found a buyer?
not yet
... a few rumors here and there, now they are looking for engine supplier (possibly Mercedes) the last i heard...anyway they have until 31 Jan to find one... It will be a waste to see them not competing...
Canew
Senior Member
not yet
anyway they have until 31 Jan to find one... It will be a waste to see them not competing...
31 Jan is looming nearer. But I agree that it will be a waste to see the team fade away like that, not with people like R. Brawn, R. Barrichello, J. Button et al there.
Ya lor ...Sad this drivers also not bad! Haiz...:sweatsm:
Rain continues to mar Ferraris Mugello test
Whilst the teams testing in Portugal were gladdened by sunnier weather at Portimao, Ferrari continued to dodge the showers as their private test session continued at Mugello on Wednesday.
Felipe Massa was back behind the wheel of the F60 after taking over from team mate Kimi Raikkonen. He covered 104 laps of the Italian track and finished the day with a best time of 1m 33.353s.
Although the dampness of the circuit prevented the Brazilian from evaluating the slick tyres he will use this season, he was able to continue the development work started by Raikkonen on Monday and Tuesday.
Massa will continue in the F60 cockpit on Thursday, as Ferrari conclude their Mugello programme for the week.
I tot rain test will also be one of the test?
Whilst the teams testing in Portugal were gladdened by sunnier weather at Portimao, Ferrari continued to dodge the showers as their private test session continued at Mugello on Wednesday.
Felipe Massa was back behind the wheel of the F60 after taking over from team mate Kimi Raikkonen. He covered 104 laps of the Italian track and finished the day with a best time of 1m 33.353s.
Although the dampness of the circuit prevented the Brazilian from evaluating the slick tyres he will use this season, he was able to continue the development work started by Raikkonen on Monday and Tuesday.
Massa will continue in the F60 cockpit on Thursday, as Ferrari conclude their Mugello programme for the week.
I tot rain test will also be one of the test?
BMW Sauber impeded by windy conditions at Valencia
Whilst this week's multi-team session in Portugal and Ferraris private test in Italy have both been hampered by rain, BMW Sauber had up until now escaped poor conditions at their solo Valencia test. But on Thursday they too found themselves at the mercy of the weather, buffeted by strong winds at the Spanish track.
Although in the morning Robert Kubica was able to continue his evaluation of the new F1.09, trying out different set-up solutions and carrying out race start simulations, he was forced to change his programme in the afternoon. Switching his focus to reliability testing, he completed several long runs and covered 116 laps.
While the morning was good, unfortunately the wind made testing quite difficult in the afternoon, confirmed the Polish driver. But we still got some interesting results which will help us understand the new BMW Sauber F1.09 better.
With Kubicas two-day test now over, team mate Nick Heidfeld will take his place in the cockpit on Friday and Saturday.
Whilst this week's multi-team session in Portugal and Ferraris private test in Italy have both been hampered by rain, BMW Sauber had up until now escaped poor conditions at their solo Valencia test. But on Thursday they too found themselves at the mercy of the weather, buffeted by strong winds at the Spanish track.
Although in the morning Robert Kubica was able to continue his evaluation of the new F1.09, trying out different set-up solutions and carrying out race start simulations, he was forced to change his programme in the afternoon. Switching his focus to reliability testing, he completed several long runs and covered 116 laps.
While the morning was good, unfortunately the wind made testing quite difficult in the afternoon, confirmed the Polish driver. But we still got some interesting results which will help us understand the new BMW Sauber F1.09 better.
With Kubicas two-day test now over, team mate Nick Heidfeld will take his place in the cockpit on Friday and Saturday.
New safety car rules for 2009
FIA race director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that the safety car rules have been altered for the 2009 season. The previous regulations, which saw the pit lane closed for a period of time after the safety cars deployment, came under intense scrutiny last year after several drivers were penalised for pitting to avoid running out of fuel.
The revisions for 2009, however, will see the pit lane remain open at all times. But to prevent drivers rushing back to the pits (the reason for the original rule change), a new electronic system, which uses the standard engine control unit (ECU), will be implemented.
The rule introduced in 2007 was a bad one, and weve gone back to the 2006 regulations, Whiting explained. The only difference is we intend to implement a minimum time back to the pits. 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.
As soon as that message gets to the car, itll know where it is on the circuit, and itll 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.
If you remember, the reason we closed the pit entry was to remove the incentive for the driver to come back to his pit quickly. Thats gone now, as you wont be able to reach the pits any quicker than your dashboard display allows you to.
The teams have already sampled a version of the new system after taking part in a trial, which was held during the 2008 French Grand Prix weekend.
FIA race director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that the safety car rules have been altered for the 2009 season. The previous regulations, which saw the pit lane closed for a period of time after the safety cars deployment, came under intense scrutiny last year after several drivers were penalised for pitting to avoid running out of fuel.
The revisions for 2009, however, will see the pit lane remain open at all times. But to prevent drivers rushing back to the pits (the reason for the original rule change), a new electronic system, which uses the standard engine control unit (ECU), will be implemented.
The rule introduced in 2007 was a bad one, and weve gone back to the 2006 regulations, Whiting explained. The only difference is we intend to implement a minimum time back to the pits. 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.
As soon as that message gets to the car, itll know where it is on the circuit, and itll 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.
If you remember, the reason we closed the pit entry was to remove the incentive for the driver to come back to his pit quickly. Thats gone now, as you wont be able to reach the pits any quicker than your dashboard display allows you to.
The teams have already sampled a version of the new system after taking part in a trial, which was held during the 2008 French Grand Prix weekend.
Singapore to be fine-tuned to boost overtaking
Following the huge success of last years inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, organisers have announced that the layout of the Marina Bay circuit will be improved further ahead of the 2009 event.
Following consultation with the FIA and the teams, minor changes will be made to Turns One, 13 and 14 to further increase the potential for overtaking, whilst road surface improvements will be undertaken at Turns Five, Six and Seven, and revisions made to the pit-lane entry and exit as well as the Turn 22 runoff area.
While the circuit and the event exceeded expectations around the world, as with any brand new event, there are always things which we now know we can do better, explained Singapores technical and race operations director, Michael McDonough.
Minor modifications are proposed on the track, at Turns One, Seven and 14 in order to improve overtaking opportunities whilst the main changes will be to the Pit Entry and Pit Exit to provide added margins of safety for cars entering and leaving the pit lane.
The changes to Turn One will involve modification to the geometry to reduce corner speed so that it provides potential overtaking opportunities in the braking zone at the approach to the corner. The modifications will involve relocating the corner apex, reducing the corner radius and thereby cutting the estimated cornering speed.
When the cars took to the track last September, some drivers took a far wider line in this corner than expected, turning in from the concrete verge next to the wall. Kerbing will therefore be installed on the entry to prevent this.
Turn 13, the tight left-handed hairpin after the historic Anderson Bridge, will be amended to increase cornering speed, providing additional speed on Esplanade Drive and increasing the opportunity for overtaking in the braking zone at Turn 14. With the revision, the cars are now likely to reach speeds of approximately 275km/h along Esplanade Drive.
In addition, the geometry of Turn 14 will also be modified to improve overtaking opportunities in the braking zone. The changes will involve relocating the corner apex to reduce the corner radius and reducing the estimated cornering speed of the cars.
During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, a significant speed differential was observed at the apex of Turn 22 between cars entering the pit lane and those lapping the track. To reduce any risk of interference between them, a dedicated pit-lane entry will be constructed.
The pit exit will also be changed. Last year it entered the circuit into the braking zone for Turn One, immediately after the pit wall. Following suggestions from the FIA, the pit lane will be realigned and lengthened for 2009, exiting on the drivers left at Turn Two, away from the racing line and onto a part of the circuit where the cars will all be accelerating.
Finally, the runoff distances at Turn 22 will be reduced, providing better spectator circulation in the area. The 2009 Singapore Grand Prix will take place from September 25-27.
Following the huge success of last years inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, organisers have announced that the layout of the Marina Bay circuit will be improved further ahead of the 2009 event.
Following consultation with the FIA and the teams, minor changes will be made to Turns One, 13 and 14 to further increase the potential for overtaking, whilst road surface improvements will be undertaken at Turns Five, Six and Seven, and revisions made to the pit-lane entry and exit as well as the Turn 22 runoff area.
While the circuit and the event exceeded expectations around the world, as with any brand new event, there are always things which we now know we can do better, explained Singapores technical and race operations director, Michael McDonough.
Minor modifications are proposed on the track, at Turns One, Seven and 14 in order to improve overtaking opportunities whilst the main changes will be to the Pit Entry and Pit Exit to provide added margins of safety for cars entering and leaving the pit lane.
The changes to Turn One will involve modification to the geometry to reduce corner speed so that it provides potential overtaking opportunities in the braking zone at the approach to the corner. The modifications will involve relocating the corner apex, reducing the corner radius and thereby cutting the estimated cornering speed.
When the cars took to the track last September, some drivers took a far wider line in this corner than expected, turning in from the concrete verge next to the wall. Kerbing will therefore be installed on the entry to prevent this.
Turn 13, the tight left-handed hairpin after the historic Anderson Bridge, will be amended to increase cornering speed, providing additional speed on Esplanade Drive and increasing the opportunity for overtaking in the braking zone at Turn 14. With the revision, the cars are now likely to reach speeds of approximately 275km/h along Esplanade Drive.
In addition, the geometry of Turn 14 will also be modified to improve overtaking opportunities in the braking zone. The changes will involve relocating the corner apex to reduce the corner radius and reducing the estimated cornering speed of the cars.
During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, a significant speed differential was observed at the apex of Turn 22 between cars entering the pit lane and those lapping the track. To reduce any risk of interference between them, a dedicated pit-lane entry will be constructed.
The pit exit will also be changed. Last year it entered the circuit into the braking zone for Turn One, immediately after the pit wall. Following suggestions from the FIA, the pit lane will be realigned and lengthened for 2009, exiting on the drivers left at Turn Two, away from the racing line and onto a part of the circuit where the cars will all be accelerating.
Finally, the runoff distances at Turn 22 will be reduced, providing better spectator circulation in the area. The 2009 Singapore Grand Prix will take place from September 25-27.
Force India on track for March debut
Although their rivals are already tweaking their new cars after testing last week, Force India are yet to unveil their 2009 challenger. But on Friday the team revealed that they are on target to debut the VJM02 during testing in early March, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix later in the month.
As well as adjusting to 2009s extensive regulation changes, Force India have also switched from an engine supply deal with Ferrari to a new technical partnership with McLaren. And with the engine and gearbox contract only agreed in November, the team have been working flat out ever since to accommodate the late change of plan.
The deal took quite a while to do and therefore the announcement and the opportunity to start work was late, especially considering the package included such fundamental items such as the gearbox, technical director James Key told the teams official website. Its obviously very tight, because of what weve had to do. But the plan is to hit the last two official team tests before the season.
Although modifying the car's design to incorporate a new gearbox and engine has been a complicated process, Key has clearly relished the challenge and has been pleased with how smooth the transition has been.
We had to determine how compatible the existing designs were, he added. In some areas it was fairly straightforward. Some areas of the car matched very well with the new packaging requirements we had, while in other areas it was significantly different.
I think its just getting everything together. McLaren have been absolutely excellent, they understand that weve had a lot of work to do in a short time. Theyve been extremely supportive, very helpful.
And if Force India's progress continues at the same rate throughout February, the VJM02 is expected to hit the track for the first time on March 1 at a multi-team test at the Spanish circuit of Jerez.
Although their rivals are already tweaking their new cars after testing last week, Force India are yet to unveil their 2009 challenger. But on Friday the team revealed that they are on target to debut the VJM02 during testing in early March, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix later in the month.
As well as adjusting to 2009s extensive regulation changes, Force India have also switched from an engine supply deal with Ferrari to a new technical partnership with McLaren. And with the engine and gearbox contract only agreed in November, the team have been working flat out ever since to accommodate the late change of plan.
The deal took quite a while to do and therefore the announcement and the opportunity to start work was late, especially considering the package included such fundamental items such as the gearbox, technical director James Key told the teams official website. Its obviously very tight, because of what weve had to do. But the plan is to hit the last two official team tests before the season.
Although modifying the car's design to incorporate a new gearbox and engine has been a complicated process, Key has clearly relished the challenge and has been pleased with how smooth the transition has been.
We had to determine how compatible the existing designs were, he added. In some areas it was fairly straightforward. Some areas of the car matched very well with the new packaging requirements we had, while in other areas it was significantly different.
I think its just getting everything together. McLaren have been absolutely excellent, they understand that weve had a lot of work to do in a short time. Theyve been extremely supportive, very helpful.
And if Force India's progress continues at the same rate throughout February, the VJM02 is expected to hit the track for the first time on March 1 at a multi-team test at the Spanish circuit of Jerez.
So are these guys jobless?;p
:bsmilie:38 days to the first practise in Melbourne!
Bahrain day four - Raikkonen fastest as test resumes
After spending two days dodging sandstorms, Ferrari, Toyota and BMW Sauber were finally able to carry out some productive running as their four-day Bahrain test concluded on Friday. Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen was the fastest man around the Sakhir circuit, clocking a best time of 1m 33.325s.
Raikkonen covered 105 laps in the F60, despite a brief hydraulic problem in the afternoon, and focused on evaluating set-up options. The Finn also tested the Italian team's KERS device.
"The track was very slippery in the morning, due to the sand, but we managed to go ahead with our programme," Raikkonen said. "My first day with the new F60 on a dry track was extremely positive. I immediately had a good feeling although it's still too early to say where we are compared to our competitors."
Toyotas Jarno Trulli, meanwhile, finished the day in second. Working on set-up and tyre evaluations in the TF109, Trulli completed 127 laps.
After the interruptions of the last two days, we enjoyed fine weather with perfect sunshine throughout the sessions, explained Toyotas chief engineer Dieter Gass. There was still some wind which made the comparisons harder, but we were able to get through a lot of laps.
We looked at different tyres and some set-up development directions. It is not often that we get through two race distances in a day so that bodes well for our reliability. Overall it has been a positive end to the week."
Tester Christian Klien was in action for BMW Sauber. Klien, who took up the third slot on the timesheets, concentrated on set-up work and tried different tyre compounds in the F1.09. With the car running for 125 laps, the engineers were able to collect a great deal of data and Klien was pleased to get his first taste of the team's 2009 machine.
In the morning the track was still slightly wet as a result of being cleaned after yesterdays sandstorm, said the Austrian. Because of this it took some time to build up a proper grip level. That gave me the opportunity to get used to the BMW Sauber F1.09, which I drove for the very first time. In the afternoon the track conditions were much better and we were able to go ahead with our test programme as scheduled.
Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Toyota will stay in Bahrain over the weekend and resume testing at the Sakhir track on Monday.
Unofficial Friday times from Bahrain:
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:33.325
2. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:33.429
3. Christian Klien, BMW Sauber, 1:33.666
Bahrain day four - Raikkonen fastest as test resumes
After spending two days dodging sandstorms, Ferrari, Toyota and BMW Sauber were finally able to carry out some productive running as their four-day Bahrain test concluded on Friday. Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen was the fastest man around the Sakhir circuit, clocking a best time of 1m 33.325s.
Raikkonen covered 105 laps in the F60, despite a brief hydraulic problem in the afternoon, and focused on evaluating set-up options. The Finn also tested the Italian team's KERS device.
"The track was very slippery in the morning, due to the sand, but we managed to go ahead with our programme," Raikkonen said. "My first day with the new F60 on a dry track was extremely positive. I immediately had a good feeling although it's still too early to say where we are compared to our competitors."
Toyotas Jarno Trulli, meanwhile, finished the day in second. Working on set-up and tyre evaluations in the TF109, Trulli completed 127 laps.
After the interruptions of the last two days, we enjoyed fine weather with perfect sunshine throughout the sessions, explained Toyotas chief engineer Dieter Gass. There was still some wind which made the comparisons harder, but we were able to get through a lot of laps.
We looked at different tyres and some set-up development directions. It is not often that we get through two race distances in a day so that bodes well for our reliability. Overall it has been a positive end to the week."
Tester Christian Klien was in action for BMW Sauber. Klien, who took up the third slot on the timesheets, concentrated on set-up work and tried different tyre compounds in the F1.09. With the car running for 125 laps, the engineers were able to collect a great deal of data and Klien was pleased to get his first taste of the team's 2009 machine.
In the morning the track was still slightly wet as a result of being cleaned after yesterdays sandstorm, said the Austrian. Because of this it took some time to build up a proper grip level. That gave me the opportunity to get used to the BMW Sauber F1.09, which I drove for the very first time. In the afternoon the track conditions were much better and we were able to go ahead with our test programme as scheduled.
Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Toyota will stay in Bahrain over the weekend and resume testing at the Sakhir track on Monday.
Unofficial Friday times from Bahrain:
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:33.325
2. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:33.429
3. Christian Klien, BMW Sauber, 1:33.666
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