Gene Haas, co-owner of title-winning NASCAR outfit Stewart-Haas Racing, has been given the right to join the Formula 1 grid from the 2015 campaign onwards, the FIA announced on Friday afternoon (11/4/14).
The team has just over nine months from now to produce a car to take part in the pre-season tests ahead of the 2015 season.
Haas will be the first new team to join F1 since Caterham came on board in 2010. And the first American Formula 1 team to compete since the unrelated Haas Lola outfit raced in the 1985 and 1986 seasons.
No word yet on details of Haas’ plans, Haas Racing Developments headquarters will be in Kannapolis, North Carolina, alongside NASCAR Sprint Cup sister team Stewart-Haas Racing, but the two teams will be treated as separate bodies with a European base for the European rounds.
Gunter Steiner, formerly of Jaguar Racing and Red Bull would be Team principal. With Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara possibly designing the car. While Ferrari or Mercedes, more likely Ferrari power could power the cars.
Good decision from the FIA to pick Hass, a way much better choice then USF1 who failed to enter the F1 grid in 2010. Lets hope Haas Racing Developments makes their way and prove people wrong that an American team can enter into Formula 1.
With the announcemant that Haas Racing Developments will be the twelfth team in Formula 1 in 2015. There could be even a thirteenth team in Formula 1 in 2015 with former Midland and HRT front man Colin Kolles heading another bid with his own team Kodewa, who builds the Lotus LMP2 cars in FIA World Endurance Championship series.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Recap of the last round of WRC from last weekends Round 4 of Rally de Portugal.
Last weekends was the forth round of the World Rally Championship at the Rally de Portugal (3rd-6th April) was won by current WRC Champion Sébastien Ogier in the works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, to win the rally overall. While, M-Sport World Rally Team leader Mikko Hirvonen finished in second place in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Hirvonen was 43 seconds behind Ogier at the end. Meanwhile, Mads Østberg, finished in third place in the works Citroën DS3 WRC. Østberg was 72 seconds behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Nasser Al-Attiyah in his own backed Ford Fiesta RRC. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished in ninth place overall, he was over 10 minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Stéphane Lefebvre in his own backed Citroën DS3 R3T. Stéphane Lefebvre finished in twenty-seventh place overall, he was over 29 minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
On Monday morning (14/4/13) it was announce that Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali has resigned from his role as Team Principal of the team with immediate effect. The team have struggled this season, failing to register a podium finish in the first three races.
He will be replaced by Marco Mattiacci who is the current president of Ferrari North America, Stefano Domenicali had been in charge since replacing Jean Todt in 2008.
In Stefano Domenicali time as Team Principal at Ferrari took one Constructors championships in 2008, and missing out three drivers titles with Felipe Massa in 2008 and Fernando Alonso in 2010 and 2012.
Domenicali, who had been with the Italian team for 23 years in various roles, added: "This decision has been taken with the aim of doing something to shake things up."
Right decision? not so sure, Stefano Domenicali did the toughest job of replacing Jean Todt who took Ferrari to seven Constructors championships and seven Drivers titles with Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen and did took the toughest job of any Team Principal in Formula 1 and that is at Ferrari.
And if Stefano Domenicali had a bit of luck at the final races, Stefano Domenicali could have took have Three Drivers Titles his job wouldn't be highly question as-well. But, it would be time will tell if Stefano Domenicali did the right thing and quit his Team Principal role at Ferrari. As new Team Principal Marco Mattiacci toughest job of any Team Principal in Formula 1 and that is managing Ferrari expectations.
So what's next for Stefano Domenicali? Who knows.
End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.
Predictions for this weekends Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit, on the outskirts of Shanghai.
And so predictions for the race itself, and surprise surprise another Mercedes victory for Lewis Hamilton, team-mate Nico Rosberg second in the other Mercedes. And finally third for Valtteri Bottas in the Williams. Don't forget Felipe Massa, the two Red Bull drivers, the two McLaren drivers or the two Force India drivers either for a podium place as-well.
End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
Third post of the F1 season. A quick review of the Bahrain Grand Prix, thoughts on the race itself.
Good race
Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton, race win; Nico Rosberg, finished 2nd)
Force India (Sergio Perez, finished 3rd; Nico Hulkenberg, finished 5th)
Red Bull Racing (Daniel Ricciardo, finished 4th; Sebastian Vettel, finished 6th)
Williams (Filipe Massa, finished 7th; Valtteri Bottas, finished 8th)
Max Chilton (finished 13th, ahead of Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, and team-mate Jules Bianchi)
Bad race
Ferrari (Fernando Alonso, finished 9th, Kimi Räikkönen finished 10th)
McLaren (Kevin Magnussen, DNF, Clutch; Jenson Button, DNF, Clutch)
Pastor Maldonado (Collision with Esteban Gutierrez in the race, ten second penalty and five grid penalty for China as-well)
Sauber (Adrian Sutil, DNF, collision damaged with Jules Bianchi; Esteban Gutierrez, DNF, Collision with Pastor Maldonado)
Jean-Éric Vergne (DNF, collision damaged with Pastor Maldonado)
Marcus Ericsson (DNF, oil leak)
The race itself was the best race Of the season so far. A touch race win for Lewis Hamilton with 10 laps to go when Hamilton was leading comfortably, Pastor Maldonado crashed into Esteban Gutierrez Sauber to deploy the safety car. With ten laps to go, then a Mercedes drivers war for the win between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. To conclude with Lewis Hamilton winning his second race win of the season, ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by one second.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez in the Force India finish on the final step of the podium in third place. The first Force India podium since Giancarlo Fisichella at the Belgium Grand Prix in 2009.
Next stop Shanghai in two weeks time.
End of blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
Former F1 champion Michael Schumacher is showing "moments of consciousness" after months in a coma, his agent has said.
Sabine Kehm said in a statement to the media that he was "making progress", adding that they remain "confident".
Doctors in France have been working to bring the seven-time champion out of a medically induced coma.
The 45-year-old suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps on 29 December.
"We are on his side during his long and difficult fight, together with the team of the hospital in Grenoble," Ms Kehm said in the statement.
"We would like to thank you all for the continuous sympathies. At the same time we again ask for understanding that we do not intend to disclose details."
Last month Schumacher's relatives said in a statement that he had been showing "small, encouraging signs".
Investigators probing the accident said Schumacher had been going at the speed of "a very good skier" at the time of his crash in the resort of Meribel.
He had been skiing off-piste when he fell and hit a rock, investigators said.
Experts reconstructed events leading up to the crash after examining Schumacher's skiing equipment and viewing footage filmed on a camera attached to his helmet.
Review of Round One of the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season was at Brands Hatch's Indy Circuit, in Kent.
In the first race, Pirtek Racing driver and 2013 BTCC Champion Andrew Jordan took the race win in his Honda Civic and also took Independents class too. Second was MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save driver Jason Plato in his MG6 GT, he was half a second behind Jordan in the end. While third place was Honda Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal in his Honda Civic Tourer, he was nine seconds behind Jordan in the end.
Meanwhile in the second race, it was once again Pirtek Racing driver Andrew Jordan took the race win in his Honda Civic and also took Independents class too. Second was Honda Yuasa Racing driver Gordon Shedden in his Honda Civic Tourer, he was half a second behind Jordan in the end. While third place was eBay Motors driver Colin Turkington in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was seven tenths of a second behind Jordan in the end.
While in the third race, eBay Motors driver Colin Turkington in his BMW 125i M Sport and also took Independents class too. Second was Honda Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal in his Honda Civic Tourer, he was eleven tenths of a second behind Turkington in the end. While third place was MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save driver Jason Plato in his MG6 GT, he was one and half a second behind Turkington in the end.
Next stop Donington Park for Round Two of the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season in three weeks time.
End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
