Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari
Click above to view a high-resolution gallery of the new Ferrari A1GP car
It was an ambitious target to design, develop, shake down and launch an all-new spec car across the series in less than a full year, but that’s what the organizers of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport set out to do. Unfortunately, the first major setback inevitably meant that the series would have to be postponed, and that’s just what happened.
The new car has been under development with Ferrari for the past ten months or so - based on Ferrari’s Formula One racing car design - and things had been going well. However, when test driver Patrick Friesacher was injured after a vital suspension component failed, it was back to the drawing board. The delay means that the start of the fourth season, which was originally scheduled for September 21 at the Mugello track in Italy, will now be pushed back to Zandvoort, Holland, for October 4, which was initially planned as the second race of the season.
Check out the press release after the jump, and the new high-resolution gallery of the Ferrari-developed and -powered A1GP spec racer by clicking the thumbnails below.
[Source: A1GP]
Continue reading Suspension problem on Ferrari A1GP car delays season opener
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Filed under: Motorsports, Euro
Click above for high-res gallery of the European Grand Prix
There are many grands prix in Europe, but there is only one European Grand Pix. Although the title was originally awarded as a badge of prestige to one race on the continent each year, over the last quarter century the name has allowed a second round in the Formula One World Championship to be held in a country that already hosts a race under its own name. With the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix already behind us, this year’s European Grand Prix was held at the new street course in Valencia, Spain.
Not to be confused with the Circuit de Valencia that is often used as an F1 test track, the new Circuito Urbano Valencia was designed by prolific track architect Hermann Tilke and is lauded for combining a highly challenging set of 25 turns with a Monaco-like atmosphere - complete with views of the Mediterranean and a marina - and a unique bridge straight. The new location made for a an exciting setting for this past weekend’s race, jam packed with race action to throw this year’s championship further into flux. Follow the jump to see how it unfolded.
Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: the new European Grand Prix at Valencia
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Filed under: Motorsports
Officials have confirmed that the newly reunified IndyCar series is contemplating a move to turbocharged engines by 2011. The move could entice more automakers - aside from Honda, which is the only engine manufacturer currently participating in the series - to join on as well. In a meeting held this past June, IRL officials spoke with a dozen automakers about joining the series, and several sounded enthusiastic at the prospect of switching from the current naturally-aspirated V8s to smaller turbocharged engines. The new formula would call for either four or six cylinders and either one or two spools, producing as much as 750 horsepower instead of the current 650. Officials expect three or four manufacturers to sign on to the new formula, which could be announced as early as December to give the manufacturers enough time to develop the new engines.
Turbochargers had been common in American open-wheel racing, but after the IRL and Champ Cars split, the former switched to non-boosted V8s while the latter continued with turbos. The bulk of the formula for the reunited series, however, was based on the IRL regulations. Many of the drivers competing in the series have been pushing for the switch, and responded enthusiastically to the news.
[Sources: Autosport and The Indianapolis Star, Photo by Jon Ferrey/Allsport/Getty]
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