FIA Makes the Path to Formula 1 Much More Difficult For Young Drivers

F1’s governing body, the FIA, has just released the new points system that regulates drivers obtaining the super-licence necessary to race – and it looks pretty tough.

Pirelli Believes F1 Cars Will be Much Faster This Year

The 2014 Formula 1 season was a hotly contested one, but only for two drivers who raced for the same team. Mercedes had made a big leap with its engine and the only candidates for the title were Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with the former being crowned champion.

Niki Lauda’s 1975 Ferrari 312T F1 Racer Makes Assetto Corsa Debut [w/Video]

While driving digital interpretations of 1970s Formula One is nothing new, as there have been a series of games catering to this need both officially and through user created mods, most are quite old now and don’t take full advantage of the latest technological improvements.

Ferrari Customer Orders One-Off 458 Italia Dedicated to Niki Lauda

The timing couldn’t have been better: just weeks after the premiere of the “Rush” movie that depicts the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt during the 1976 Formula One season, Ferrari has revealed a very special 458 Italia.

A customer of Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization program decided to customize his new 458 Italia in the livery that featured on the Maranello F1 cars back in the mid-Seventies, when the Scuderia took three consecutive Constructors’ titles and two Drivers’ – both of them thanks to the very determined Niki Lauda.

The car features a red paint with a white roof that includes the Italian flag going longitudinally across it. The gold rims add to the 458 Italia’s special feel, as do the white painted door sills and front deflectors.

The car was prepared with this exclusive design by the Commercial Department at Ferrari as part of the Tailor Made personalization program, with the collaboration of a personal designer from the Maranello Style Centre.

The interior features the same motif of the Italian flag, which can be seen on the seats and central tunnel. The racing look is underlined by the sports seats with red motif stitching, the dashboard, instrument panel and the steering wheel with LEDs, as well as the F1 type gear shifts.

Ferrari says the mysterious owner of this 458 Italia (which remains standard in terms of performance) wanted to make it unique by “paying tribute to one of the happiest and most productive eras in the history of the Scuderia.” What do you think of it?

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

Tuner ABT Sportsline Confirms FIA Formula E Entry

There are only three more spots left on the starting grid for the inaugural FIA Formula E championship set to commence next year. Drayson Racing (UK), China Racing, Andretti Autosport (US), Dragon Racing (US), e.dams (FR) and Super Aguri Formula E (JP) have already signed up and now the series gets its first entrants from Germany: tuner ABT Sportsline; the seventh squad so far.

The managing director of the company and racing team boss Hans-Jürgen Abt expressed his feelings on the matter, an interesting turn in the company’s history:

“We’re proud to have the opportunity to take part in the debut of this new racing series. Participating in the new FIA Formula E Championship marks a completely new chapter in our more than 60-year motorsport history… As a company that has been active in the field of regenerative powertrains and electric mobility we’re convinced of the series’ concept. It’s innovative, delivers motorsport at the highest level and a great show for fans around the world – all of which are a perfect fit for ABT Sportsline.”

The full competition name for the team will mirror that of the outfit’s DTM racing effort, called 'Audi Sport ABT Formula-E Team'. They will be taking part in all of the ten races, the first of which is set to take place in Beijing, China, on September 20, 2014, according to the official calednar.

Check out the two trailers for the series below!

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

How Red Bull Racing Bought Ford's F1 Failure for $1 and went on to Win 6 Titles

The late legendary NASCAR racer and team owner Dale Earnhardt Sr. had famously said, “Second place is just the first place loser”. Sebastian Vettel, who on November 26 won his third consecutive Formula 1 world championship with Red Bull Racing (RBR), thinks along the same lines: “When you win, everything is crazy. When you lose, you have time for yourself, no one is interested”, he says.
Everyone is certainly interested in Vettel and Red Bull Racing, which also won its third constructors’ title in a row this season. What makes their accomplishments even more astonishing is the fact that the RBR team was formed in 2005 and its first win came in the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix.

Formula 1: Brazilian Grand Prix Race Report

It’s not the first time that the Formula 1 title has gone down to the wire. Far from it, since any fan of the sport can certainly recall some epic finales.
In 2008, for example, when Ferrari’s Felipe Massa crossed the finish line, he had won not only the Brazilian Grand Prix but also the world championship as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was in sixth place. The latter, though, passed Timo Glock in the second-to-last corner and moved up to fifth, clinching the title by a single point and leaving Massa second.

F1 Austin: Well Played Miss Culpepper, Well Played…

Fans or even random people popping up behind reporters during live television broadcasts for their 15 seconds of fame (or infamy, depends on which way you see it) is nothing new, but how journalists react in these kind of situations can greatly differ.
While some reporters are surprised and perhaps even lose their words or break into laughter when this happens, we had none of that with KVUE TV's Quita Culpepper, who was covering a report from downtown Austin during Formula 1 Fan Fest on Saturday night when a playful woman came up from behind.

Oh Kimi…Raikkonen Feels “Not Much Really” After Winning Abu Dhabi F1 GP

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight, said American actress and comedienne Phyllis Diller who passed away last August. Kimi Raikkonen has his way with curves, especially those in a Formula 1 track, and in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix he set the record straight.
He still won’t smile, though. Not even after claiming victory in Sunday's race leading Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.
Not even when he beat them driving a Lotus, a car that may be the surprise of the season, but surely doesn’t come close to the prancing horse, never mind the reigning champion’s car.

Lewis Hamilton to Replace Michael Schumacher at Mercedes GP from 2013

Given his performance, which was well below his own very high standards, Michael Schumacher’s departure from Formula 1 after his comeback three years ago was not a surprise.
The same goes for the driver who will replace him at Mercedes GP from the next season: Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with McLaren was not in good terms (to put it nicely) and speculation about him moving to Mercedes had been circulating since the Italian GP.

F1: Ferrari Launches New F2012 Car, Massa Warned that he Must do “Something Special” this Year

The bad weather that is currently torturing much of Europe has forced Ferrari to make a last-minute change of plans for its 2012 Formula 1 car launch.
While it was initially scheduled to be revealed at Maranello, and then make its maiden test at the Fiorano circuit, the heavy snow that was more suited to the Ferrari-special Grand Cherokee than an F1 car resulted in the new F2012 to be launched via an online presentation.
Compared to last year’s F150o, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Italian Republic, Ferrari's new Formula 1 car has a very unimaginative designation. But names don’t matter that much; after all, the 2011 car had only one win to its credit.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Vroom! Scuderia Ferrari Sends Christmas Greetings

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - a year which certainly does not rank among those that the Scuderia Ferrari and its tifosi will consider worthy of the Prancing Horse’s history in Formula 1, having scored only one win and finishing third in the championship.
However, the people from Ferrari’s racing division seem to have been touched by the Christmas spirit, so they put their disappointment aside and had a little fun at work.

Video: F1 Racing Cars Launching at Goodwood Festival

OK, so a highly-tuned Toyota Celica with the innards of a Corolla WRC (and then some) may have posted the fastest time at the Goodwood hill climb. And yes, it beat a handful of Formula 1 cars to achieve this win.
But we’re pretty sure that the sounds and sights of an array of F1 cars ranging from a 1939 Mercedes-Benz W165 to 2010 editions of Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull, will make the back of your hair stand up. To find out if that’s true, just watch the video after the jump.

2011 British GP: Red Bull’s Reign Disrupted

None of the usual suspects – aka the drivers of Red Bull or McLaren- occupied the top spot on the podium of the British Grand Prix that took place on Sunday at Silverstone. Instead, the winner was Fernando Alonso, who managed his first win of the season, and 27th overall in his career, making the best both of Ferrari’s obvious progress and the catastrophic pit stop of early leader Sebastian Vettel.

British GP: Red Bull Takes the Front Row in Qualifying with Webber in Pole Position

The unpredictable weather conditions made the qualifying of the British Grand Prix something of a gamble, and the teams weather forecasts were expecting rain during the final session. So everyone made sure that they got out quickly in order to set a fast time before it started to rain again.

McLaren and Red Bull Clash Over Throttle Regulations

Ever since the Spanish Grand Prix, FIA has investigated the matter of some teams using exhaust gasses when the driver is off the throttle to improve the downforce of their cars. Eventually, FIA ruled that throttle opening when the accelerator is released would be limited to 10%.
However, McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh disputed on Friday before the British GP the new regulation, claiming that Red Bull’s Renault engine retains 50% of its power under a concession for reliability.

British GP Practice: Massa Shines in the Rain

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa set the quickest time in Friday’s afternoon practice session of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend at Silverstone. Just minutes before the beginning of the session, heavy rain started to fall, with all cars staying in the pits for half an hour because of the condition of the track.

Caterham Logos to Appear on Team Lotus’ F1 Cars

It’s funny how things turn out sometimes. In 1973, Caterham, which was founded in the 1960s as a Lotus dealer, acquired the rights to build the Seven from Lotus. Now, Team Lotus has purchased Caterham Cars through a holding company, part owned by Malaysian Tony Fernandes.

Williams and Renault Reunite in Formula 1

A legendary alliance is reforming in Formula 1: Williams and Renault Sport have decided to cooperate once again for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, when the rules stipulate V8 engines, and an option to continue in 2014 when the new turbocharged V6s are introduced.

F1: Sebastian Vettel takes his 6th Win in Valencia

Sebastian Vettel is on a roll and no one seems able to stop him and his Red Bull from adding a second Formula 1 championship to their trophy list. This was confirmed once again today in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, in the eighth race of the 2011, where Vettel took his sixth win of the season. The German world champion started from the pole position and was never challenged during the race as he cruised to another win.
The only driver to even come close was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who started from fourth place and, like his team-mate Felipe Massa, made a terrific start. Alonso had a fight with the Red Bull of Mark Webber who, despite starting from the front row, eventually lost out to the Spaniard who finished the race second, more than 10 seconds behind Vettel.