Pirelli said that its pre-season data has been backed up by lap times around two seconds quicker than 2014 at the season-opening Australian grand prix. Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton beat his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg from pole, with both drivers utilising cool conditions and low degradation to perform very similar one-stop strategies.
As the world’s car companies gather in Geneva for the biggest event of the year, brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance has released its annual review of the state of their brands. Every year, Brand Finance puts thousands of the world’s top brands to the test. They are evaluated to determine which are the most powerful, and the most valuable.
Every year, leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance puts thousands of the world’s top brands to the test. They are evaluated to determine which are the most powerful, and the most valuable. Analysis of the world’s top brands shows Lego has replaced Ferrari as the world’s most powerful brand, with Ferrari dropping to ninth.
NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd. has a long partnership with M-Sport and Marko Wowczyna, automotive director at NGK, has announced its continuation into the next season. “We are delighted to be continuing our successful relationship with M-Sport and after this encouraging start we look forward to helping the team throughout 2015.”
Once again, the Mercedes team closed out the top two steps of the podium at Interlagos, using three stops – as did almost every driver – to dominate in the penultimate race of 2014. The only surprise was that Nico Rosberg ended Lewis Hamilton’s five GP winning streak to make the Briton finish at least second to ensure championship victory in Abu Dhabi’s controversial double-points grand prix. Both Mercedes drivers started on the soft tyre to make good their front row grid advantage, before seeing out the race comfortably on the medium P Zeros. Tyre supplier, Pirelli correctly predicted this as the fastest strategy for the 71 lap race, and a high degree of tyre wear meant that all but Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who finished seventh, stopped three times
With practice and qualification completed under significantly cooler conditions, a hotter Sunday forced Formula One’s teams to improvise when it came to tyre strategy at the Canadian grand prix. A safety car period, lasting eight laps right at the beginning of the race, also altered the strategy, with tyre degradation at the most critical fuel-heavy period minimised. Tyre supplier Pirelli says that wear on both compounds was generally low, despite track temperatures that exceeded 45 degrees centigrade and 30 degrees centigrade ambient.
Pirelli, the 11 Formula One teams and the FIA have agreed the schedule of the new dedicated tyre testing days (one per team) that each team will undertake within the existing 2014 in-season test calendar. Caterham, Mercedes and Williams will test in Bahrain; Sauber, Toro Rosso, McLaren and Force India in Barcelona; and Ferrari, Lotus, Red Bull and Marussia at Silverstone.
Pirelli began testing its prototype 2014 F1 tyres at the Bahrain International Circuit yesterday, and while the official data gleaned from the 2013 cars run by the Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Torro Rosso teams is a closely-guarded secret, the tyres that took to the track in Sakhir are rumoured to make for slower lap times than those achieved during this year’s season.
Pirelli and Formula One teams will be allowed to hold a tyre test using 2013 cars next week after the FIA gave its consent in the form of a regulation change. At a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission in Paris on 9 December, the FIA agreed that instead of […]
When outlaying a six-figure sum to buy a car, buyers look for more than an off-the-peg product. For this reason, in January 2012 Ferrari launched its ‘Tailor Made’ personalisation programme that enables purchasers to create a truly bespoke car. Under this programme, the Ferrari Styling Centre researches the utility of numerous materials, including those not typically seen in automotive applications. It then offers exterior livery and interior trim combinations that cater for virtually every taste. So regardless of whether a buyer wants leather, teak, carbon fibre, pinstriping or even denim with their new Ferrari, the Italian car maker can accommodate their wishes.
Car enthusiasts looking for a car that’s big on style and perfect for London’s busiest roads should head for the Regent Street Motor Show on November 2. One of the stars of the day will be the world’s smallest ever production car, the Peel P50, as driven by Jeremy Clarkson on BBC’s Top Gear.
Donington Park hosts the finale of eth Avon Tyres British GT Championship on 5-6 October, and both the GT3 and GT4 titles are still to be decided. Only 21 points separate the top seven drivers in the GT3 standings. Tyre supplier and title sponsor Avon Tyres declared itself “very proud to have been involved and to continue to be involved with such a strong race championship.”
Sebastian Vettel won a 32nd career victory at the Italian Grand Prix in uncomplicated fashion, using only two sets of Pirelli’s tyres in the exclusive supplier’s home race. Fernando Alonso, with whom Vettel shares that career wins total, also used a one-stop strategy in his Ferrari to get second place, having started from fifth on the grid, meaning that he limited Vettel’s championship lead to 53 points – likely too much to make up already.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel seems to be moving inexorably towards the 2013 Formula One Drivers’ Championship, taking his 31st career victory at the Belgian Grand Prix using a two-stop strategy. Vettel’s Red Bull set the fastest lap of the race on the hard tyre, claiming the lead from second on the grid and extending his championship advantage to 46 points over Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. His win means that he draws level with Nigel Mansell in terms of overall victories.
Michelin has announced it will globally, and exclusively, supply tyres for the new Ferrari 458 Speciale. In developing its new Pilot Sport Cup 2 for the Ferrari, Michelin says it and the Italian car maker “pooled their cutting-edge engineering resources, wheel assembly expertise, passion for performance, measuring technology and the skills and analytical capabilities of their developers and test drivers.”
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