“Schumacher in Threat to Quit F1” – Report
Michael Schumacher has threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the year, according to an exclusive report in the UK newspaper, Sunday People. The article says that the seven times world champion has warned he will walk away from Ferrari if tyre manufactures Bridgestone dont listen to him.
Continue ReadingBeru to Sponsor FIA World Touring Car Championship
For Beru AG, innovative product development and commitment to motor sport have always gone hand in hand. And from April 2006 onwards the Ludwigsburg-based automotive equipment supplier will also be sponsoring the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The company, a specialist in ignition technology, diesel cold-start technology, electronics and sensor technology, is to become involved in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC).
Continue ReadingNew O•Z Wheel Based on F1 Design
In 2005 O•Z Racing celebrated successes with Fernando Alonso and Renault F1 in the constructors’ and drivers’ world championships. The start of the 2006 season has produced a strong opener to the year not only for Renault, but for O•Z Racing as well. The wheel manufacturer is once again the supplier to the World Champion team as well as to the Williams team, which also has a successful Formula One track record.
Continue ReadingTyres Will Decide F1 Title, says Alonso
Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso says his expected battle with Michael Schumacher this year’s title is likely to come down to a battle of the tyres. Alonso’s team (Renault), Honda and McLaren are all Michelin-shod teams, while their Bridgestone supply rivals Toyota, Williams and Ferrari. But it is Ferrari that have Alonso worried. “Ferraris success will depend on their tyres. We saw that in Bahrain. The Bridgestone worked very well – Schumacher was fighting for victory and Williams did the fastest lap of the race,” said Alonso.
Continue ReadingMichelin May Not Leave F1 After All
SpeedTV.com has reported that McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, has hinted that Michelin’s announced withdrawal from F1 might not be definitive. Dennis said that the French company might change its position and continue into 2007 for what is supposed to be the last season of tyre competition. Bridgestone has opened discussions with the teams and us as well. But I think there’s also some indication that it may change. We are not at this stage focusing on next year’s tyre supply. At the moment we’re very comfortable that Michelin have done a very good job. “Of course we’re looking at two Ferraris on the front row on Bridgestone, and it’s a little confusing to see the pace of the other teams on Bridgestone, so we don’t know where we are. But I think Michelin has done a very good job, and we’d love them to continue, and I don’t think that is beyond the realms of possibility,” Dennis is reported to have said.
Continue ReadingBridgestone to Supply Super Aguri F1 Team
Bridgestone Motorsport has announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Super Aguri F1 Team for the supply of Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres. The agreement will commence immediately and the team is expected to run for the first time on Bridgestone F1 tyres at a shakedown test in February.
Continue ReadingBeru F1 Systems Wins Motorsport Industry Innovation Award
Diss-based Beru F1 Systems has won an Motor Industry Association (MIA) innovation award for its DigiTyre tyre pressure monitoring system. The achievement was formally recognised at the annual Motorsport Industry Association Awards held during the Autosport International exhibition at the NEC. Beru’s MIA Business Excellence Award for Technology and Innovation was one of only seven awards presented. The company’s latest tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is currently used in the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, the world’s fastest road car.
Continue ReadingEcclestone Sells Interest in F1
Bernie Ecclestone and German bank BayernLB have sold their controlling stake in Formula One to CVC Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. The sale gives the investment company 75 per cent control of F1. However Ecclestone will hold onto the chief executive post at Formula One Group as well as retaining a stake in the business.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Eagle F1 Wins Again
Goodyear’s ultra-high performance Eagle F1 GS-D3 has been awarded first place in a test of 11 top competitors conducted by the editors of Car & Driver. The F1 was praised for its strong wet performance and for have dry handling characteristics comparable with the best dry performers. Continental’s ContiSportContact 2 took second place earning compliments for its “very good” performance in the wet. Yokohama’s Advan Neova AD07 took third place and was praised for its grip: “If youre looking to cut the quickest lap times while using a street tyre, this is the one to have,” the magazine reported.
Continue ReadingA1GP: All the Things F1 Isn’t
When Tyres & Accessories published the news that Cooper had signed a three-year contract to supply tyres for the A1 Grand Prix last December, the series wasn’t exactly well known. 12 months later A1GP, which sees national teams compete against each other, is already looking forward to going up a gear. T&A met Cooper-Avon marketing and motorsport director, Julian Baldwin, at the EuroSpeedway for the German leg of the A1GP and asked what the manufacturer stands to gain from its involvement.
Continue ReadingBrand New F1 Team
Formula 1 has gained an 11th team, although it is not certain they will compete in 2006. Former Grand Prix driver, Aguri Suzuki, made an application to compete next year in a car powered by Honda engines and running on Bridgestone tyres. However the fact that the team have to build their own chassis means the Super Aguri Formula One is facing an uphill battle to be ready in time for the beginning of next season. The team will be based in Tokyo with race operations situated at the former TWR headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire, the Telegraph reported. Takuma Sato, BAR test drivers Anthony Davidson and Adam Carroll, and Super Aguri IRL driver Kosuke Matsuura are all said to be under consideration for the drivers’ jobs.
Continue ReadingGoodyear to Make F1 Comeback?
Goodyear is reportedly considering returning to the Formula One motorsport series. F1total.com reports that the American manufacturer is considering getting involved in the sport as a way of responding to the improved market performance that Michelin and Bridgestone have achieved through their involvement. The F1 website speculates that Goodyear could apply for the FIA contract as soon as the series reverts to using a single tyre supplier. Goodyear could also be competing with Kumho for a future F1 contract, the website states.
Continue ReadingNew F1 Tyre Rules Confirmed
The FIA World Motorsport Council has officially approved new Formula 1 rules, which will see the series re-introduce a control tyre and bring back tyre changes. The new rules also mean larger wheels and slick tyres will be used. The new rules state: “Each driver will be permitted to use seven sets of dry-weather tyres for each event. All tyres used for qualifying and race must be of the same specification. Tyre changes will be permitted at any time during the race.” While the reintroduction of pit-stop tyre changes and the use of more than one set of tyres will begin next season, the control tyre concept, larger wheel sizes and slick tyres were originally slated for 2008. However, the FIA has allowed for this collection of rules to be brought forward to 2007 if an 80 per cent majority of the Formula One Technical Working Group agree to do so before the end of December 2005.
Continue ReadingNew F1 Rules
A meeting of the Formula 1 commission has voted to re-introduce tyre changes into the racing series. The Daily Telegraph described F1’s decision to reintroduce tyre changes as “far from unanimous”. In addition the series will adopt a new qualifying system for next season as well as a radical alterations to vehicle aerodynamics and appearance.
Continue ReadingBERU F1 TPMS for World’s Fastest Car
Diss-based BERU F1 Systems has been chosen to supply its digital tyre pressure monitoring system DigiTyre for the world’s fastest road car, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. This is the system’s first OE application and a rare example of direct technology transfer from F1 to road car. With temperatures reaching over 100°C and G forces exceeding 2900G, traditional OEM tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) would struggle to last, thus necessitating the DigiTyre derivative.
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