- Jenson Button has said that he is aiming for a single-year McLaren deal for 2012, as opposed to rushing into a new long-term contract with his team. After starting 13th on the grid to third in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, Button was in Manchester for a street demonstration on Bank Holiday Monday
- Kubica had a successful final surgery in Italy on Sunday as he continues his recovery from his February rally crash. Surgeons described the outcome as “a total success”. Kubica’s final surgery was aimed at recovering the full mobility of his right elbow and did not encounter any complications. It remains unclear as to when the Polish driver is likely to return to the cockpit
- Group Lotus has announced that legendary Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray has become an advisor for the company, joining the Lotus Advisory Council. During his F1 career, Murray worked with McLaren and Brabham and is best known for his Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’ which won its only race with Niki Lauda at the wheel (the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix) before being declared illegal
1. Sebastian Vettel 259pct
2. Mark Webber 167pct
3. Fernando Alonso 157pct
4. Jenson Button 149pct
5. Lewis Hamilton 146pct
6. Felipe Massa 74pct
7. Nico Rosberg 56pct
8. Michael Schumacher 42pct
9. Vitaly Petrov 34pct
1. Sebastian Vettel 1hr:26min:44.893sec (amazing race from start to finish and first time i saw Vettel overtaking many people) 2. Mark Webber+3.7 sec (if somebody could learn him how to start the car, he may won some races) 3. Jenson Button +9.6 sec (earn 3rd place with style and skill starting twelve, very smooth driving and no mistakes)
4. Fernando Alonso +13.0 sec (Good race, but not enough rythm and should have a better strategy, even he started 8th)
5. Michael Schumacher +47.4 sec (best race of Schumacher since is at Mercedes-GP and if the car continue to evolve, we say Schumi on podium soon)
6. Nico Rosberg +48.6 sec (amazing start. )
7. Adrian Sutil +59.7 sec
8. Felipe Massa +66.0 sec (disappointing)
Lewis Hamilton will fight with Vettel for the first place, Massa, Rosberg and Mark should fight for 3rd place and probablly Massa is the surprise for the podium this year at Spa if Alonso will not made a fantastic race with many overtaking and if he isnt faster than Felipe... , Alguersuari could make the best race of his career for him and Toro Rosso and Bruno Senna could do his debut with Renault very optimistic for the future, taking advantage of an accident in front or he will had bad luck and he'll be subject of an accident . Anyway, this is how i think the race result will be
1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Felipe vs Webber
5. Alonso
6. Rosberg
7. Button
8. Petrov vs Senna vs Alguersuari( with rain Alguersuari should be in front of them)
1. Sebastian Vettel 276pct
2. Mark Webber 191pct
3. Lewis Hamilton 164pct
4. Fernando Alonso 135pct
5. Jenson Button123pct
6. Felipe Massa 102pct
7. Nico Rosberg 86pct
8. Vitaly Petrov 31pct
9. Michael Schumacher 26pct
10. Jaime Alguersuari 14pct
Last year EA released Need for Speed World, a free-to-play browser-based online racing game. Now, Codemasters announcing F1 Online: The Game, a new free-to-play racing game due out next year. F1 Online will be available in the first quarter of 2012 for the PC and Mac as a browser-based game. The title is an officially licensed top-down racer that features drivers, teams, and circuits from the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. F1 Online features multiplayer races across six different game modes. These include practice, qualifiers, time trials, challenges, and Grand Prix.
In addition to taking part in races, players will be able to act as a team boss in F1 Online. Gamers will choose a team name, design the racing vehicles, and also "manage commercial, research, production, and race crew functions" to win on the track.
Maria Teresa de Filippis (born 11 November 1926 in Naples, Italy) was the first of five female Formula One racing drivers in the sport's history. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958. (0 points scored due his career)
Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (March 26, 1941 - March 3, 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. Born in Frugarolo, she participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 20, 1974. After performing well in Formula 3 and Formula 5000 in the early 1970s, Lombardi entered Formula One in 1974 with an old privately-entered Brabham, but it was with March that she raced a full season in 1975. She then had a one-off drive for Williams before a short-lived and unsuccessful partnership with RAM Racing, driving another Brabham. Lella Lombardi had also started in NASCAR driving in the Firecracker 400 NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway in 1977. Lombardi later raced in sports cars with some success. (0,5 points scored due his career - Half points were awarded for this race due to a shortened race distance, hence Lombardi received half a point instead of the usual one point)
Divina Mary Galica (born 13 August 1944, in Bushey Heath, near Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English member of the Order of the British Empire, best known for her Olympics career and her motorsport racing career. By age 20, she participated in her first Olympic games at Innsbruck in 1964, competing in downhill skiing and the slalom. She also participated in the next two winter Olympics, at Grenoble in 1968 and Sapporo in 1972. Aside from Olympic competition, Divina Galica achieved two World Cup podium finishes in the downhill event, taking third place at both the Badgastein and Chamonix rounds in 1968. Accepting an invitation to a celebrity auto race, Galica surprised everyone with her driving talent. She eventually took up motorsport as a second career, initially racing karts, moving into Formula Two and Formula One before finding success in sports cars and trucks. Her racing career has included stints in Formula Renault and Formula Vauxhall Lotus. Galica was taken under the wings of John Webb and Nick Whiting, who entered her in the British Shellsport International Group 8 series in 1976, driving a Surtees TS16 Formula One car. After F1 career Galica became a racing instructor with Skip Barber Racing Schools, rising to become senior vice president of Skip Barber Racing, managing both its driving school and racing series. In 2005, at the Mont-Tremblant weekend of the Skip Barber Race Series, Galica announced she was leaving Skip Barber to work for iRacing as a director in the company. (0 points scored due his career)
Desiré Randall Wilson (born 26 November 1953 in Brakpan) is a former racing driver from South Africa. She entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1980 with a non-works Williams FW07 prepared by Brands Hatch Racing, but failed to qualify. She also raced in the 1981 non-championship South African Grand Prix, spinning off after 52 laps. She became the only woman to win an F1 race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 series in 1980. Following her attempts in Formula One, Wilson participated in other disciplines including CART and sports car racing. In 1982, Wilson entered the Indianapolis 500, but failed to qualify (0 points scored due his career)
Giovanna Amati (born July 20, 1962 in Rome) is a former professional race car driver from Italy. She is best known as the last female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship. She began racing professionally in 1981, winning several times over the next four years in Formula Abarth before moving up to Italian Formula Three in 1985-86 and by 1987 she had moved up to Formula 3000, but by 1992 had recorded a best result of only 7th place in six seasons in both Europe and Japan. Amati landed the second seat at the dying Brabham Formula One team for the 1992 Grand Prix season. Although she was an aggressive racer, with her previously mediocre results in a 1991 in which she posted 7 starts with 3 DNQs. Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, she was dropped in favour of Damon Hill as her financial backing had not materialised. Since then, Amati went on to carve out a respectable career in sportscars, placing 3rd overall in the SportsRacing World Cup SR2 class championship in 1999. She has also moved into media, writing columns in Italy for motorsport publications and providing television commentary. (0 points scored due his career)
Michael Schumacher - Schummel-Schumi: schummel carries connotations of cheating and deviousness; in 1994, Schumacher was repeatedly accused of bending or breaking the rules (for example he alleged to activate a banned launch control system or his disqualification at Spa on a technicality or driving into Damon Hill to clinch the world championship at Adelaide). He is also known as TGF (Great One Liz) or The Red Baron (due to his red Ferrari and in reference to the German Manfred von Richthofen, the famous flying ace of World War I)
Fernando Alonso - Teflonso: Teflon is commonly used as a non-stick coating on kitchenware or us a word which describes people tainted by allegations but never directly implicated in them (it refers to his involvement in ‘Spygate’ in 2007, where emails revealed he discussed Mclarebs use of confidential Ferrari informations and ‘Crashgate’ in 2008, where his Renault team mate Nelson Piquet Jnr was ordered by Flavio to crash somenone to help Alonso win). He is also known as The King or GOD Alain Prost - Le Professeur: he was an expert at restraining the urge to drive at ten-tenths, preserving his car until the end of the race, and above all, making sure he did not run out of fuel. Rubens Barrichello - Rubinho Mika Hakkinen - The Flying Finn David Coulthard - Sqaure Jaw or Boxhead Ralf Schumacher - GFB (German Fellow's Brother) Eddie Irvine - The swerve Nick Heidfeld - TGFH (That German Fellow's Heir to the throne) Jos Verstappen - The Boss Jean Alesi - Crazy JeanNikki Lauda - King Rat Fittipaldi - Sao Paolo Taxi Driver or Rat Nelson Piquet - Sujeirinha ("the little dirty guy" because when he was very young he worked in a garage and his face was always covered with oil)
Belgium F1 circuit its a mix of long straights and challenging fast corners, coupled with its picturesque setting and remains one of the most popular venues with drivers and fans alike, having hosted a Grand Prix as long ago as 1924. The weather is still notoriously changeable (it can often be simultaneously raining on one part of the track and dry on another) and Eau Rouge, with its high speed and sudden elevation change, maintains its reputation as one of Formula One racing's most technically demanding corners.
The old Spa circuit was essentially a speed course with drivers managing much higher average speeds than on other race tracks.
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is considered to be one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its fast, hilly and twisty nature.
Technical detailes
The circuit probably demonstrates the importance of driver skill more than any other in the world. This is largely due to the Eau Rouge and Blanchimont corners, both which need to be taken flat out to achieve a fast run onto the straights after them, which aids a driver in both a fast lap and in overtaking.
The challenge for drivers has always been to take Eau Rouge-Raidillon flat out. Regular touring cars can take the corner at 160–180 km/h, Formula One at over 300 km/h -this is due to the huge amount of downforce on the cars.
Belgian Circuit has 7 km, 44 laps with a race distance of 308 km; 5 highspeed straches, 3 slow turns, 2 ideal spots for overtaking and a top speed around 315 km/h. Best Preview by Mark Webber:
Wikipedia History
Like the Nürburgring, Spa became notorious for fatal accidents, as there were many deaths each year at the ultra-fast track, especially at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix where 2 drivers, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey were both killed within 15 minutes (although Stacey's accident was caused by a bird hitting him in the face) and Stirling Moss had crashed at Burnenville during practice and was severely injured. The Ardennes Forest had very unpredictable weather and there were parts where it was raining and the track was wet, and other parts where the sun was shining and the track was completely dry.
In 1969, the Belgian Grand Prix was boycotted by F1 because of the extreme danger of Spa. The drivers demanded changes made to Spa which were not possible on short notice, so the Belgian Grand Prix was dropped that year. Armco was added to the track and sections of it were improved (especially the Stavelot and Holowell sections), just like Armco had been added for the 1969 Le Mans race. F1 would not return to Spa until 1983 on the modern track.
Eighteen Formula One World Championship Grands Prix were run on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit's original configuration, which was boycotted by F1 in 1969, before the revised circuit banished it to the history books in 1979. The lap record of the old triangle-shaped track is held by the French driver Henri Pescarolo, at an average speed of 262 kilometres per hour (163 mph).
Over the years, the Spa course has been modified several times. The track was originally 15 kilometres (9 mi) long, but after World War II, the track had some changes. The uphill U-turn right after the famous Eau Rouge corner called "Virage de Ancienne Douane" was eliminated and cut short, thus giving birth to the Radillon uphill sweeping corner. All changes made the final configuration of the old Spa circuit 14 km (9 mi) long. All these changes made Spa the fastest open road circuit in the world, and in the final years of the old circuit, drivers could average 150 mph (241 km/h) on the circuit. The biggest change, however, saw the circuit being shortened from 14 km (9 mi) to 7 km (4 mi) in 1979.
Spa was dropped from the Formula One calendar in 2006. The organiser of the event went bankrupt in late 2005, and therefore the planned improvements to the race track and paddock had not yet been made. The Wallonia government stepped in and provided the necessary funds, but too late for the 2006 race to take place.
Formula 1 returned to Spa for 2007, with a modified track layout. The Bus Stop chicane was moved back towards Blanchimont and the La Source hairpin moved forward. This allowed more space for the new pit lane. The modifications gave a longer start/finish straight
Modifications for 2010 season: New tarmac runoff was added to the inside and outside of Les Combes for the 2010 race, in line with the prevailing trends at other Formula One circuits.
Statistics
Fastest Laps
2001 1:16.723 Michael Schumacher
2004 1:45.108 Kimi Raikkonen (current lap record)
2002 1:47.176 Michael Schumacher
2009 1:47.263 Sebastian Vettel
2008 1:47.930 Kimi Raikkonen
Sebastian Vettel : races - 4, victories - 0, podiums - 1, poles - 0, fastest laps - 1, points - 10
Mark Webber : races - 7, victories - 0, podiums - 1, poles - 1, fastest laps - 0, points - 26
Lewis Hamilton : races - 4, victories - 1, podiums - 2, poles - 1, fastest laps - 1, points - 36
Jenson Button : races - 9, victories - 0, podiums - 1, poles - 0, fastest laps - 0, points - 8
Felipe Massa : races - 6, victories - 1, podiums - 2, poles - 0, fastest laps - 1, points - 35
Michael Schumacher : races - 14, victories - 6, podiums - 9, poles - 1, fastest laps - 4, points - 86
Nico Rosberg : races - 4, victories - 0, podiums - 0, poles - 0, fastest laps - 0, points - 12
Nick Heidfeld : races - 7, victories - 0, podiums - 1, poles - 0, fastest laps - 0, points - 16
Vitaly Petrov : races - 1, victories - 0, podiums - 0, poles - 0, fastest laps - 0, points - 2
Rubens Barrichello : races - 16, victories - 0, podiums - 2, poles - 1, fastest laps - 1, points - 21
Adrian Sutil : races - 4, victories - 0, podiums - 0, poles - 0, fastest laps - 0, points - 10
- Paul di Resta’s manager has hinted Mercedes GP could be interested in signing the current DTM champion because the 7 times world champion Michael Schumacher might leave F1 in 2012, even if, Rosberg should leave the team
- in 2013 we could see a race arround New York; If the race were to take place, it would be the second American round alongside the Austin GP, Wich will take place for the first time next year
- having announced that they won't use the hard compounds in the next three races, Pirelli have now confirmed that they are dropping the tyre completely.Pirelli announced after the Hungarian GP the compounds for the next three races with the medium and soft compounds being used at Spa and Monza and the soft and super softs at Singapore. Paul Hembrey confirmed that the hard compound would not be used again this season
- the V6 turbos set for 2014 will be the biggest change to engines in over 20 years, according to Renault’s deputy managing director Rob White. Last month the FIA approved plans to change the four-cylinder 1.6 litre engines - scheduled for 2013 - to V6s and delayed the introduction of the units by a year. F1 bosses also agreed to increase the rev limit on the new engines from 12,000 to 15,000rpm.The teams currently use 2.4 litre V8 engines but despite the changes, the overall power of the new units will remain at around 750bhp
- indian’s motorsport federation president(Vicky Chandhok - father of Karun Chandhok) has express his concerns about the event’s proposed April 22 slot on the 2012 Formula 1 calendar which the sport’s commercial manager Bernie Ecclestone submitted to the teams before of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Following team principals’ remarks that they are set to ask Ecclestone for a rethink due to the logistical demands of back-to-back non-European races at the end of the season, Chandhok believes New Dehli’s race could also benefit from a change of date due to the country’s hot weather at that time of the year. Temperatures in the region are frequently above 100°F during April only May being a hotter month for Dehli
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6. Lotus: @MyTeamLotus 39.148 people
7. Virgin: @MarussiaVirgin 39.090 people
8. Force India: @clubforce 35.963 people
9. AT&T Williams: @WilliamsF1Team 34.305 people
10. Toro Rosso: @ToroRossoSpy 19.105 people
11. BMW Sauber: @OfficialSF1Team 15.391 people
12. HRT: @HRTF1Team 13.425 people
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1. Ferrari: 4,876,218 people
2. Mclaren: 379,431 people
3. Redbull: 273,982 people
4. Mercedes GP: 124,963 people
5. Lotus: 109,754 people
6. Force India 99,488
7. Renault: 40,281 people
8. Toro Rosso: 12,614 people
9. Virgin: 8,027 people
10. BMW Sauber: 6,794 people
11. AT&T Williams: 2,965 people
12. HRT: 640 people
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Suck my kiss - RHCP
