BlogF1

Ferrari have assigned American company Moog with designing and building the Maranello team a state-of-the-art simulator for use by their drivers and tacticians. It is believed that McLaren currently possess the finest simulator and Lewis Hamilton has often spoken of using the system, particularly last season when the young driver was in his rookie year. Ferrari want to go one better though and Moog, who have previously developed flight simulators, will be charged with the project. Continue Reading

The second day of testing was finalised earlier today with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa going fastest on the rain-soaked Circuit de Catalunya. Massa was partnering test driver Luca Badoer today as they worked on a revised aerodynamic package on the F2008. Massa did suffer a spin on the damp tarmac, but his new car escaped unscathed and the Brazilian was able to complete 46 laps, with Badoer making 33 passes on the start/finish line. Continue Reading

On the final day of testing at Spain’s Valencia circuit Kimi Raikkonen went fastest ahead of fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen. The margin was small, only 0.017s separated the pair, the Ferrari sandwich completed with Felipe Massa in third a further 0.5s down. Second McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton finished his week in fifth losing out to Kazuki Nakajima in the new Williams for the first time. The Grove team have had a good few days in Valencia with their new car and head to Bahrain with optimism. Continue Reading

When BMW unveiled their F1.08 earlier in the month I actually thought it was one of the prettier cars to have been launched thus far, surprising myself as I’ve never been particularly drawn to the Swiss-German cars in the past. But the tight and unspoiled lines combined with the no-nonsense approach to simply developing what previously worked was refreshing among the new-fangled McLarens and Ferraris. However, this morning at Valencia Nick Heidfeld rolled out of his garage with a newly designed nose on the front of his car, and boy does it take the shine of the machine. Continue Reading

Honda debuted their 2008 car at Valencia this morning, dressed in white and and powering Rubens Barrichello around the Spanish circuit. The new car, which Honda hope will lift them back into the competitive zone, is quite a radical move away from the failed RA107 which only garnered six points in last years championship. Visually, the nose is much higher and the sidepods are significantly different. The rear end has also been completely altered according to the team and the front suspension has been remodelled. Continue Reading

The first full day of the Valencia test was completed earlier after Williams and Renault ran their new cars yesterday for the first time. Today saw sixteen drivers out on track and it was the Ferrari’s that headed the tables with Felipe Massa going fastest. Kimi Raikkonen followed closely in the sister F2008 and prevented Nico Rosberg from splitting the Scuderias at the top. Heikki Kovalainen and Pedro De La Rosa ran the new McLaren during the day and finished in fourth and fifth. Continue Reading

Following the roll out of the new Williams FW30 this morning at the foggy Valencia circuit, Renault have also sent their 2008 car onto the circuit for a few preliminary shakedown laps, the R28 in the trusted hand of Fernando Alonso. Despite the cold weather at the Spanish track and a fog-interrupted morning, the new Renault rolled out of the garage allowing local fans to catch the first sighting of the car that Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr will be driving this year. Continue Reading

As far as launches go, this has to be the lowest-key roll out ever. Williams had stated previously that they weren’t too concerned about not holding an official launch party for their new 2008 challenger, citing reasons of there’s nothing to announce. Nico Rosberg is on a long-term contract, Kazuki Nakajima was confirmed last year, Toyota are still the squad’s engine partner and little else has changed, aside from the car. So instead, Williams opted to simply roll the new FW30 car out of the garage and get on with testing. Which, due to dense fog at Valencia this morning, lasted one lap. Continue Reading

Spanish World Champion Fernando Alonso has a lot to answer for. Not only has he won two successive titles at the wee age of 24 and 25, becoming the youngest to do so, but he has also pushed Formula One to the top of Spanish sports fan’s agenda. It seems Spaniards just can’t get enough of F1, and ticket sales at the traditionally boring Spanish Grand Prix event have sky-rocketed in the previous two years. The sales haven’t stopped this year either, despite Alonso’s move to McLaren. But Fernando’s fans have stood by him and the Circuit de Catalunya is once again sold out. Local fans line the circuit each time Fernando tests in Barcelona, and even the countries love of motorcycling appears to be less watched as F1 viewing has improved and taken hold. So what does this have to do with Valencia? Continue Reading