Daily Archives: March 15, 2012

Australian GP,Kimi Raikkonen hopes but no idea

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At the Australian Grand Prix Formula One FIA press converence,Thursday,Kimi Raikkonen said he has ‘no idea’ about how he will perform at Sunday’s season opener.

Raikkonen decided to return to Formula One, having signed a deal with Lotus F1.Lotus had several highlights during pre-season testing where Raikkonen topped the time sheets on the first and last days.But it wasn’t only the team’s one-lap pace that caught the eye as several rivals admitted they were also impressed by their speed over longer race distances.

However, Raikkonen concedes that Lotus were not the only ones who looked good in the build-up to the Championship.Said Raikkonen,”I have no idea where we are going to be,”.

He continued,”We had a good winter – it could have been better – but hopefully we are fast, we will know at the weekend.”But I think many teams will be fast. Are we going to be in front? I don’t know. We hope we are going to be, but let’s wait and see.”

Raikkonen,The 32-year-old also downplayed any excitement he may be feeling upon his return to the sport where he won the 2007 Drivers’ Championship title.

“I am a little bit older, that’s all, but it’s the same really,” he said. “It really hasn’t changed a lot, the car feels very similar. I was expecting to have more difficulties with it, but it’s pretty good.

“I didn’t watch much the past few years, same people, similar stuff going on. I had other things to do than watch the races. It doesn’t mean I don’t like the sport – if I didn’t like the sport I would not be here.”

Regarding his return and joined with Lotus,Raikkonen is also enjoying life.While his past experiences of driving at Ferrari and McLaren would prove useful to his new life at Enstone.

Raikkonen said,”You always learn from all the people and all the teams. I try to get the things in the team where I know how I like them.”I’ve been very happy with the team, they’ve been great people to work with and easy going, so no real need to do anything. Just If you like to do things differently they’ve been happy to try to do it that way and it’s just been a good experience.”.said Raikkonen.

FIA stated Mercedes’s radical wing concept is legal

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FIA has stated that radical wing concept the team has pioneered is fully legal.This provides a strong expectation of Mercedes after a strong winter testing.

Mercedes stirred up interest from its rivals throughout pre-season testing with its W03 featuring its own version of a rear-wing F-duct concept – that some suspected was activated by vents being opened when the upper wing elements moves during DRS activation.

It is understood that rival teams queried the legality of such a system – which vents the air through the endplates and in to the main plane, to help stall the wing and boost straight-line speed – with the FIA.

However, despite the way the system effectively makes use of driver movement when he activates the DRS, the FIA has no doubts that it complies with the regulations.

The head of the FIA’s F1 technical department Charlie Whiting said: “Some teams are questioning it on the basis that they thought F-ducts were banned. Well, F-ducts are not banned.

Whiting continued “At the end of 2010 everyone was using driver operated F-ducts and the regulations that were changed specifically banned the use of driver movement to influence the aerodynamic performance of the car – that got rid of that generation of so-called F-ducts.

“At the beginning of last year, with engineers being unable to unlearn things, they wanted to try and get the effect via different means, and they talked about opening and closing a duct by having interaction with the suspension. We said no, you cannot do that because that is not the primary purpose of the suspension system – which is to insulate the car from undulations in the road.

“There was then a lengthy discussion in the TWG at the beginning of last year about that, to make sure everyone was clear about it. It seems a couple of teams went away from that meeting with the impression that F-ducts were banned in general. Whatever an F-duct is. But they are not.”

Whiting would not reveal further details of how the Mercedes system works, but said that he viewed it as completely passive.”What it appears some teams are doing is that when the DRS is operated, it will allow air to pass into a duct and do other things,” he explained.

“That is all I can say – you will probably have a pretty good idea of what it might be doing, and other teams will as well. But it is completely passive. There are no moving parts in it; it doesn’t interact with any suspension. No steering, nothing. Therefore I cannot see a rule that prohibits it.”.said Whiting.

Ahead of MotoGP test at Jerez,will Rossi to return competitive?

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Ahead of MotoGP final pre-season test at Jerez,the last evidence of the first MotoGP of the fateful April 8 has begun,and just about anyone you ask will suceed Valentino Rossi to return competitive?

This is not a question pilgrim. Until now, until proven otherwise, Ducati has done everything in his power to grant the wishes of nine-time champion, revolutionizing the Desmosedici. After many trials in late November came an aluminum frame, already developed for winter testing in Sepang. And we will stop here because I have more news coming soon after the start of the season.

The old bike, you can say that now remained only the engine, its beating heart. A propeller original in design and implementation – an “L” of 90 ° with Desmodromic – who early in his career was to beat the four-cylinder, power and speed and then, slowly, he lost hissupremacy, softening. Evidently, however, is not that much if the first thing that Casey Stoner said the Honda, testing it at Valencia in November 2011, was that the engine was incredibly sweet!

A statement is completely opposite to that of Dani Pedrosa, which for the entire season had complained of aggression the release of the RC211V, explainable by a single hypothesis: the Ducati engine was much more “bad”.

All this to say that Filippo Preziosi, most likely, after putting his hand to the frame is currently working on the engine.

The rest is known to the preference of Valentino Rossi engines “soft”, and not by chance in 2004 at Sepang, the various offerings from Yamaha, it was one of these to be chosen. Not the most powerful version available at the time.

The result, we all remember, was the victory of Welkom, the debut race of the Championship during which he was beaten by Max Biaggi’s Honda, but more were ridiculed other Yamaha on the track.

Norick Abe ended 9 ° to over 36 “, Carlos Checa 10 ° to 39″ and Marco Melandri even 11 ° to 43 “.

The meeting was a victory for the pilot. A race of character. And this is what you expect Ducatisti March 23 by Valentino Rossi at Jerez.From the latest MotoGP test on the people wants to see Red Valentino before all the other Ducati. Will it succeed?

Must succeed, because Filippo Preziosi has promised that by then It will not have to do more on set-up, but only focus on the best possible performance.”In Sepang it was not possible, because we ran out of time, due to weather conditions – the designer has specified the Desmosedici – but at Jerez Rossi will be free to seek the provision.”

Will find it and its references will not be either Stoner or Lorenzo, but Nicky Hayden, Hector Barbera, Karel Abraham. Nobody expects more than that now “the second” that they said had exaggerated adulation in the wrist. No pilot has, or has ever had a second. Five-tenths, however, are a reasonable distance that when applied to the fastest time achieved in Sepang just by Barbera (2.01 “231, 6 th time) would bring Valentino to turn around the 2.00″ 8, ie close to and ahead of Jorge Lorenzo Cal Crutchlow, as the best Ducati rider.

On that occasion, but Smith stopped to 2.01 “550, 10 th time, far from the 2.00″ 473 Stoner.

This is the goal. Indispensable. Because if it is true that in the race, however, Valentino Rossi makes a difference, we need to see what the real limit of the GP12 trial.

Cal Crutchlow said difficult for Bradley to adapt 1000cc

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Once a nation of primier motorcycle racing and breeding ground of talents like Mike Hailwood,Baarry Sheene,John Surtees,the United Kingdom still ranks riders can sometimes make a show of prestige and center results.Among thes,Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith are both members of the union jack in the world championship.

Curiously, their fates (or, rather, trajectories) are destined to cross in and out of the track. Smith and Crutchlow fact run under the auspices of the Tech team, respectively, in Moto2 and MotoGP. The move announced by Smith in MotoGP with the team in 2013 Herve Poncharal might rule Crutchlow’s departure or the creation of an entirely British team. But there are also those who called, more conciliatory as an option, the deployment of a third bike (CRT) from the team.

Recently, the two took to the track at Silverstone for a promotional event, and were able to evaluate hypothetical scenarios. ”The racing is extremely competitive – said Smith – If Cal was my team mate next year, I would try to listen and observe carefully, to learn as much as possible from him. Or it could show that they have enough talent to earn a ’other bike, and then we would simply be adversaries. “

“It will be difficult for Bradley to adapt ’1000 ‘prototype – replied Crutchlow – This year I want to show my detractors that they are wrong, but if there is no room for me in the Tech 3 will go else where.”

For his part, Crutchlow has a year’s experience in MotoGP and a technical change – the move to 1000 – which seems to favor his style of riding. ”It seems to me that the 1000 will suit you best. I’m happy with the bike was born. It is very similar in characteristics to 800, only more powerful. The first test in Malaysia did well, and this year I can claim a better knowledge of slopes. The key will be constant. “

“Then last year did not go as bad as it sounds – he added – We almost always replicated time winners in 2010, on a private motion. The results, however, gave no reason.”

A key variable for the location of Cal Crutchlow Tech 3 will be in the results of his current team mate Andrea Dovizioso, openly looking for a Yamaha official for 2013. ”Andrea is a great rider – he said – No one can ignore the fact that he finished the championship in third place last year. My goal is to stay close, nobody is expected to beat him. Surely there will be a battle in the battle between riders on bikes ‘private’, and already to be first among these would be a great result. “

For his part, Smith is busy developing the chassis for the Tech 3 Moto2 comes only to him and his partner Simeon. ”Clearly it is a difficult development work, because there are not many data available – noted – But every time we tried something new we took a step forward. In tests we shot in less than half a second of the time ‘last year, but the competition has moved forward. “

The UK has only 21 years but can boast experience as a veteran, being the seventh season in MotoGP. ”Clearly my goal is to introduce myself with a title in MotoGP Moto2, but be realistic: we’re late with the development, and we have only 3 days and about 150 laps left to find suitable arrangements with the last update of the frame. Finish on the podium in Qatar would be a fine achievement.”

Between the two litigants,the third to enjoy Scot Redding could be in the great shape on KALEX in winter testing,and as pointed out by Vittoriano Guareschi talent to watch.

Gresini does not know wheter CRT is good or not

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San Carlo Honda Gresini-What is going to be starting the 28th year in the world championship for Fausto Gresini,12 passed in the saddle,with two world titles in 125,and 18 behind the pits,driving one of the best structured teams in the league.

If the seasons pass, the passion has not yet gone out and Imola, after having faced one of the most difficult tests with the disappearance of Marco Simoncelli prepares for 2012 with the usual enthusiasm. The team that bears his name will be on track for the first time in all three classes and the queen will join the MotoGP class, led by Bautista, a CRT, with chassis and engine made by Honda FTR, headed by Michele Pirro.

“I would rather have two prototypes, but it was not possible – said the manager – it is important for teams to have found a possibility to continue, in the last three or four years it has been difficult to do. We all made sacrifices, trying to cut expenses as much as possible, but we could not continue like this, would be the end of the season.

I, too, and my team, in the end we had to give up. “ Not just the passion for racing at high levels in the championship Prince of cycling, are a solid foundation, both t echnical and economic, and running at peak performance in MotoGP has also led to a steady rise in costs. In this sense, the CRT may be a response to the troubles faced by the league.

“We are having problems – said Gresini – the cost of MotoGP has continued to increase and become less and less bikes on the track.Dorna has understood this emergency situation, and became aware of the need for change, not least because the houses are working to get more riders on the grid. If you had not moved on a different route, the future of MotoGP would be at risk.

We need a big change, we must reduce costs and invest in young people. The houses have not yet figured out the problem, have reduced the budget reserved for racing but not the cost of leasing the bikes. In this situation it is difficult for teams to go forward.

Certainly, the CRT is a big change, I do not know whether it is good or not. At the time the bikes are still not competitive, but for me it is necessary to have a grid fed and given the opportunity to start this new history.”

Not only are the regulations that affect the former world champion eighth of a liter, but the generational change within the ranks of the Italian drivers. ”I think you do not invest enough in young people – he said – although the last two or three years, the Italian Federation has begun to do more.

With Honda Italy have begun to work with young riders, I think is important and that’s why I decided to get in Moto3 “. Where will field the 16 year old Niccolo Antonelli, the first fruit of that school Gresini is pressing ahead with the Italian branch of the House of Tokyo.”Our project is for children between 9 and 13 years, running with the NSF 100, this championship is important to grow new Italian riders.”

Jorge Lorenzo tested 600hp GP2 car

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jorge gp2 500x294 Jorge Lorenzo tested 600hp GP2 car

Jorge Lorenzo -GP2 car test

Jorge Lorenzo-Recognize this?But yes,as we had anticipated Jorge Lorenzo has decided to test himself on a car,not an F1 but a 600hp GP2 team Addax owned by Alejandro Agag,son of politician Jose Maria Aznar.

Needless to say the Mallorcan, who has raced in the car on the track but withmuch less powerful car, got a kick like crazy.

Jorge Lorenzo is not the first rider to let groped by four wheels.Leaving aside Valentino Rossi, who tested the Ferrari several times, remember that when John Surtees is the only rider to have won a World Cup is on twowheels than on four.

Another prominent example was, in F2, at the time as important as the F1, MikeHailwood, and then Johnny Cecotto (he found himself in a team with AyrtonSenna), Giacomo Agostini (on retirement), and even the pluriiridato Rolf Bilandsidecar that with open-wheel cars had a real talent, but decided against it for costs.