[Alvin]

Volkswagen Close To Purchasing Red Bull Formula One Team: Report
17,80719

Stef Schrader
Filed to: F 19/18/15 1:52pm
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/volksw...eam-1731685388

Volkswagen is closing in on a deal to purchase the Red Bull Formula One team to enter as a full works entry with VW power units in 2018, per BBC Sport. We’ve all been wondering why the Volkswagen Group keeps hiring personnel from Formula One, and I guess now we know.


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BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan says that the Red Bull team will likely use Ferrari engines in the interim until Volkswagen can develop its own power unit. Red Bull, too, would remain as a major sponsor of the team.

Of the Volkswagen brands, Audi is still considered the one most likely to be on a F1 entry.

Red Bull will split with current power unit supplier Renault after this year after their miserable performance in 2015. This somewhat put the team into limbo, given that Red Bull has been the de facto works entry for Renault over the past few years.

According to BBC Sport, Volkswagen board chairman Martin Winterkorn has already agreed with team boss Dietrich Mateschitz and Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko to purchase the team. Former Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piech was against the idea of going into Formula One, however, he resigned in April.

Team principal Christian Horner has publicly denied that anything is going on between the two brands, however, in Formula One, denial is the number one sign of guilt.

Update: Will it be an Audi car? If so, Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich isn’t talking about it. I caught up with him here at Lone Star Le Mans, where he’s here to support the Audi World Endurance Championship effort.

“I have no information about what’s going on,” Ullrich said.

He continued, “We’ve been in F1 25 times if you believe the papers.”

True, true. Personally, I’m rooting for MAN F1. What better Volkswagen brand is there to run an F1 effort than the one that could sell tow rigs to all the other teams?

[Alvin]

Manor Marussia prepare for Japanese Grand Prix with Jules Bianchi in mind
• F1 back at Suzuka for first time since accident which resulted in driver’s death
• Team principal John Booth: team dealing with return in a very private way



Jules Bianchi will be foremost in the thoughts of the Manor Marussia Formula One team this weekend as they prepare to return to the Japanese Grand Prix circuit where he had his horrific accident last year.

Jenson Button will soon call it a day in Formula One, reckons Damon Hill
The 25-year-old French driver died in hospital in southern France in July, nine months after suffering severe head injuries when his Marussia skidded off a wet track in fading light at Suzuka and hit a recovery tractor.

Bianchi was the first F1 driver to die of injuries sustained during a race since the Brazilian Ayrton Senna in 1994.

The Marussia principal, John Booth, said going back to the circuit for Sunday’s race would be “extremely emotional” and challenging for everyone at the team and appealed for understanding.

He said in a team preview: “We were Jules’s team, and with that in mind I would ask everyone to understand and respect that, this weekend, we wish to deal with the experience of returning to Suzuka in a very private, introspective way. Our commitments will be reflective of this.”

Marussia went into administration after last year’s accident, racing with one car in Russia and missing the final three races, but were rescued at the 11th hour and many of those who worked with Bianchi are still with the team.

Both current drivers, the Briton Will Stevens and the American Alexander Rossi, were in Suzuka last year in reserve roles.

Booth added: “We think of Jules every single day; he will forever be a huge part of our team. His name has also been on our car at every single race.

“That tribute, our incredibly fond memories of Jules and the camaraderie we have within our team are all we need to race on in his honour in Suzuka this weekend.”

Stevens said he would try and focus on racing: “In the same circumstances, Jules would have gone about the business of racing in a very focused and professional way and that is exactly what I’ll be doing.”

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...-jules-bianchi

[Alvin]

Slip Sliding away driving in Austin, TX COTA Thxs to hurricane Patricia..."Free Practice 3" may be used to set Sundays race grid.

[165th]

A good way to start our F1 day, with a couple of brisket in egg tacos.

[165th]

Pretty dicy conditions at the track this morning. Parking will be tough unless you have a pass on a paved lot.

[165th]

[165th]

All settled in and dry at the Velocity Lounge. No bloody Mary's till 10am!

[mrrat1]

A great race in Texas!!

Well it was a pretty good run.......never thought it would be so quick!

I have a feeling that a big Corp will jump in as a major backer for the race to continue.

[Alvin]

F1’s Engine Changes Spur Debate and Litigation for 2016 and Beyond

F1’s big four have agreed to lower the cost of their engines to struggling teams.

Anyone not living under a rock for the past three years has heard people condemn and attack the current lineup of Formula One power plans. Though there have been several improvements for 2016 announced, the world is still waiting with bated breath for these changes which ought to improve the spectacle significantly. With promises for more aggressive engine noise and improved distribution to the smaller teams, the hope is that Formula One will become more engaging and competitive with midfielders whose chances for a podium were limited by soaring engine prices.

There still exists an argument between some of the engine manufacturers and big wigs like F1 magnet Ecclestone, who at times insist that F1 ought to return to atmospheric V8s for greater appeal. Of course, a high-winding V8 might have the sonic advantage over the somewhat-muted V6, but short of changing the engine formula, there may be a solution to make the turbocharged V6 more exciting.

2016 Changes

To address the aural side of things, a recent change announced the implementation of a separated wastegate-to-exhaust tailpipe. Calling for a separate exhaust for the wastegate also does away with the silencing effect of last year’s system, which dumped the wastegate gasses into the main exhaust. Though losing a certain amount of efficiency, a vocalized wastegate and a divorced exhaust system will generate an exhaust note up to 25% louder. However, part of the turbocharged engine’s appeal isn’t just the volume, but the induction’s audio. Formula Spy wrote this article discussing the signature popping, whistling and cracking. Hopefully, this change will add a little more texture to the dull and muted tones.



When power is concerned, the whole business becomes trickier and much more complicated. Subject to stringent rules regarding fuel burn rate and reliability, the modern engines cannot be asked to make more power simply by means of increasing boost given the current fuel flow rate. Of course, nowadays, the engine is only one component of the “power unit,” so the efficiency of the MGU-H, as well as the frictional losses of the motor and the ancillaries are the only avenues to more thrust. For those of you not in the know or familiar with F1, the MGU-H is the ‘Motor Generator Unit – Heat’. It essentially captures waste heat from the turbocharger through an electric generator, which is then stored.


The 1986 Benetton made over 1,100 horsepower on qualifying boost. Don’t expect those sorts of numbers anytime soon.

Engine Availability

Perhaps the most prevalent issue on the other side of the fence is the availability of engines to the lesser teams. Mercedes and Ferrari have created a division between themselves and the rest of the field thanks to their resources and thus, their ability to refine the motors within a set of exacting rules. In addition, Renault and Honda, though troubled with problems of their own, have limited production numbers, thus making securing an engine a big task for teams like Marussia.

To address this problem, FIA President Jean Todt announced that midfield teams will be able to secure engines from the sport’s four manufacturers for a more reasonable cost, thereby negating the need for an additional supplier. Reuters reported that currently, the four big manufacturers are banding together to see a reduction in engine costs, which should hopefully level the playing field somewhat. In return for lowered engine costs, it has been reported by BBC that F1’s current engine formula will remain until 2020.


The affable Daniel Ricciardo is not the only driver who has voiced their complaints about the current engine formula.

As ever with Formula One, the politics and big business involved make it tough getting these rules to take effect directly or quickly, but we should see in the coming months what effect, if any, this litigation will have on the level of competition. One thing’s for certain: if the exhaust changes are made and the cars become more reliant on mechanical grip as they’re predicted to, we may see a very exciting year with plenty of overtaking and a few more fans plugging their ears as the cars fly by.

Edit: Check out this interesting comment below

Trevor Elvery Works at ExxonMobil Corporation
Always makes me laugh when the talk about reducing engine costs.
So what do the do, bring out a turbo charged unit which must have cost a fortune for the manufacturer to produce.
Now in an attempt to make more noise they are to develop a new exhaust system.

I have a solution, go back to the V8 from 2014. Stop changing the configuration of the power unit and keep the engine rules as they where. Allow manufacturers to modify there engines during the season as they see fit.
Then we could see a return to the good old days. Renault, Cosworth, Honda, Mercedes etc.
Changes cost teams a fortune
Like · Reply · Mark as spam · 17 hrs

[Alvin]

For Drew and others who asked about "Watch or Stream F1 live - 2016 FIA Formula 1 World Championship?"
new FOX link here => https://www.foxtel.com.au/watch/f1.html

20 March 2016 First scheduled race of new season.

[Alvin]

Inters vs Wet "Tyres" 2011 'Splaining http://youtu.be/ho7P2Fk-_Y4



Rumors of Pirelli changes for 2016...

[Alvin]

It's that time again! Check your local listings for Quali and this yr's 2016 Season opening OZ race.

[165th]

Help. Someone please explain what happened in quali today? Was it a protest or strategy???

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by 165th

Help. Someone please explain what happened in quali today? Was it a protest or strategy???

Just returned from road trip to Dallas...turned on DVR recording of Quali...and got to say WTH is wrong with F1 rules decision makers????? It wasn't broke, so fix it????

Perhaps the "looks good on paper" didn't translate to cars on track during quali to the last second which if this isn't fixed ASAP will translate to fewer fans in the stands or tuning in on TV.

"F-1 Extra" program commentary was right on the points IMO.

[165th]

This is all we need to know about that:

http://m.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35850766

[Alvin]

Alonso's crash also taking out one of American F-1 Team Haas' team cars video => http://youtu.be/rivCcuQSsAc

[MikeNoun]

An exciting race from start to finish! That crash involving Alonso was scary. When the camera first showed Gutierrez (Haas car #2) with some damage, I was disappointed, then I realize there was what appeared to be a clump of tires in the background. At that moment, one of the commentator stated that was another car in the background, and they said it was Alonso's McLaren! One of the wildest crashes in recent years, and I thought this be the end of Alonso's career. Instead, just a few seconds later, Alonso emerged from the twisted wreck completely unscathed. A testament to how far safety measures have come in F1.

Also shows how unforgiving these F1 cars are. All it took was a split second of wheel contact, and Alonso was launched into the air, the end result was a pile of twisted aluminum and a thousands of shards of carbon fiber. If that was a NASCAR hit, the cars would have spun out and continued.

Kudos to the Haas Team! Good ol' American know-how! It was absolutely stunning to see Romani Grosjean (Haas driver #1) come in 6th in the race, and the Haas Team scored points! The commentators couldn't stop talking about it. This simply doesn't happen in F1. Haas brought in a brand new team, with a brand new chassis that no one else is running in F1 (the Dallara chassis, from IndyCar), and in their first outing they scored points! Established F1 teams have gone years without ever getting points, and Haas did it the first time out. Romain Grosjean was screaming in the radio that this was an incredible victory placing 6th. He (and everyone else) knew how remarkable this achievement was.

This should be a very interesting year. The Austin, TX race will be wild!

Ferrari looks like they have something for the Mercedes team this year. FINALLY!

Mike

[mrrat1]

Actually the car ended over when it hit the raised edge of the gravel trap. Car dug in and spring boarded into the air.......I also thought it was a lump of tires........then I noticed Alonso starting his crawl out.

Don't think Vettel had the pace on softs or medium compounds to beat MB. He couldn't pass Hammy for 2nd softs vs med on Luie's MB.
If not for the start the Red cars would not have led at all, except maybe between pit stops.

[Alvin]

[Alvin]

Bahrain Tune In Alert!