Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Raceca

The new CEO of the Lotus Group has revealed greater ambitions in motor racing than only formula one.

Dany Bahar, once Dietrich Mateschitz's right hand man at Red Bull before switching to Ferrari, is now in charge of Lotus, whose name will be used by a new Malaysian-owned formula one team in 2010.

"We will investigate participation in Indycar series, GT and Le Mans racing amongst other series around the globe to demonstrate the shared technology," said Bahar in a media statement.

However, it was clarified that the Lotus F1 team will be separate from Group Lotus, and reports on Tuesday said the Malaysian carmaker Proton - the owner of Lotus - is looking over the team's license agreement for use of the name.

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McLaren LM5 Artists rendering

After revealing pictures and details of its first project the MP4-12C, McLaren Automotive confirmed a second and a third car were being planned. The MP4-12C would be the middle child, leaving space below and above. It's in the latter segment that Coventry University graduate Matt Williams got hooked on.

By recalling the old McLaren F1, Williams made the connection strong between his concept and the original. For instance he kept the three-seat layout with a central driver's seat and the rest on either side behind him. The three sports seats were designed from a racing style point of view with a slim profile and four-point harnesses. McLaren's Formula One heritage was not ignored as the multifunction steering wheel has a display for the tachometer and the lightweight chassis is of a carbon fibre construction.

Again, as a hark to the 1992 master copy the designer saw it fit to rekindle the BMW-McLaren relationship as far as the engine goes. Instead of an "in-house" motor the M5/ M6 V10 is preferred, also mounted mid-ship. Depending on the application a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 can get around 515kW (700hp) so the choice is not a bad one, although the real thing would use a McLaren-developed powerplant.

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Lotus F1 with scale model heads

The Litespeed-managed Lotus F1 Racing team has released two photos of a scale model of its first Formula 1 racer that’s currently being used for windtunnel testing. There is no name for the new car yet, but more details about the team were revealed in an interview with technical director Mike Gascoyne provided along with the press release.

According to Gascoyne, development has already been on-going for a few months before the team entry was confirmed in mid-September 2009. Gascoyne is currently in Malaysia interviewing potential employees for technical roles. They are also recruiting various other personnel in the fields of admin, marketing and PR. A full list was published as a full page ad in the papers recently.

The team will be based in the RTN facility in UK initially but as previously mentioned the ultimate goal is to have a full technical facility at the Sepang circuit. However, when that happens a small UK base will still be kept to give the team a logistical advantage when the team is racing in Europe.

Lotus F1 aims to get the car up and running for a roll-out by mid-February 2010 in prepration for the Bahrain race in mid-March. The car is currently being developed with a few technical partners including Fondtech for aerodynamics, Xtrac for transmissions, and Cosworth for engines. Malaysian companies are involved in certain areas including some aspects of engineering as well as composites (very likely to be Composites Technology Research Malaysia).

There are rumours currently afloat about Toyota’s Jarno Trulli joining the new team. Trulli will likely take the senior role and be complemented by a more junior driver, possibly a Malaysian. Everyone seems to be looking at Fairuz Fauzy right now.

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VW to eye F1 only if costs are lower

An official of the German luxury car brand Audi has hinted that parent group Volkswagen might enter formula one if the costs continue to come down.
Reinhold Carl, managing director of Audi Singapore, is quoted by the Straits Times newspaper as musing that while budgets are dropping, teams still need to fork out "well over a hundred million euros" for an annual F1 programme.

However, after car marques including Jaguar, Honda and BMW pulled out, amid rumours that Toyota and Renault might soon follow, Carl admitted that the gains from being on the grand prix grid remain vague.

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With Ferrari Alonso could earn 150m euros

Fernando Alonso's new Ferrari contract could see him race for the famous Italian team until the end of the 2015 season, and earn him 150 million euros, according to reports on Tuesday in the Spanish press.
The reports, in the newspapers AS and Diario Sport based mainly on the information of the radio station SER, said Spaniard Alonso, 27, is guaranteed three seasons at Maranello with an automatic option to extend in 2013 and 2014.
In addition to the terms of three years plus two, yet another conditional option to extend until the end of 2015 is reportedly also included. It is believed he will earn about 25 million euros every year.
The document has purportedly already been deposited with the Contract Recognition Board, and could be announced officially at 10am local from the Suzuka circuit in Japan on Thursday.
However, Italy's Corriere dello Sport claimed that while an announcement on Thursday is likely, the official news might also have to wait until Friday.
Former twice world champion Alonso, who has driven for Minardi and McLaren and is moving from his current team Renault, is also expected to take with him some of his preferred engineers.
His replacement at Renault will almost certainly be the Pole Robert Kubica, whose teammate will be the incumbent Romain Grosjean.

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Lotus and negotiations with donors Sauber Petronas

The new Malaysian-owned Lotus F1 team is in talks about being sponsored next year by Petronas, the state owned oil company.

Petronas has been a long term sponsor of the BMW-Sauber team, who are being taken over by the mysterious investment group Qadbak but are not guaranteed a place on the 2010 grid.

Lotus boss Tony Fernandes, who is also in charge of the Williams sponsor AirAsia, confirmed the Petronas talks.

"We would love Petronas to sponsor us," he said at the verge of the Singapore grand prix.

It is also rumoured that 2002 Minardi driver and Malaysian Alex Yoong, now 33, has joined the team, but will have a management role rather than a driving one.

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F1 'clash-gate' with football world cup

The 2010 British grand prix is scheduled to clash with the final of one of the world's most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup.

The apparent July 11 date gaffe, jokingly referred to by the British newspaper The Times as 'clash-gate', could result in sports fans having to choose which event to watch.

The clash, engineered by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone who co-owns the London football club Queens Park Rangers, is also another piece of bad news for Donington, formula one's new British home.

It is said that to ensure the crowds still flock to Donington despite the clash, Donington organisers are considering erecting big screens so that the evening's big match can still be watched.

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1Malaysia F1 and the details of this company

Finally some details from the horses mouth – the 1Malaysia name apparently shares nothing more in common with Najib’s 1Malaysia administration other than the similiar name, as a tribute most likely.

• The government announced yesterday that it has no equity directly or indirectly in the 1Malaysia F1 Team.
• Proton will license its Lotus brand to 1Malaysia F1 Team.
• The team will be called Team Lotus.
• It’s actually run and funded by Litespeed, Naza, and the Tune Group.
• The scope of Proton’s involvement will hopefully go beyond licensing the brand and will include technology transfer, marketing rights and employment opportunities.
• Petronas (so far) will come in through its Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, which will collaborate with the team together with UTM to help develop future Malaysian engineers, etc.
• Composites Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM) will somehow be involved. CTRM is a composites manufacturer with clients like Airbus. It is owned 92% by the government’s Ministry of Finance and 8% by Petronas. They make the composite body shell for Lotus Europa S, and are the official repairer for the teams participating in the Formula BMW Pacific.

So far no concrete mention of Proton or government money being used so far. It doesn’t even look like Lotus will be running the team, instead expertise will come from Litespeed, which is a team participating in F3 founded by ex-Lotus employees Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington. In fact we’ve already readabout this team since June.

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Renault Escape with 2yr Suspended-Ban

Renault escaped Monday's 'crash-gate' hearing with a two-year suspended disqualification, but Flavio Briatore was banned from motor sport for life.

The French team attended the Paris meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in fully cooperative mood, admitting the Nelson Piquet crash conspiracy, apologising, and offering to pay for the FIA's investigation and make a "significant contribution" to the governing body's safety projects.

The Council noted the "unparalleled severity" of the incident and said it merits "permanent disqualification from the FIA formula one world championship".

But because of the company's contrition and the ousting of conspirators Briatore and Pat Symonds, the body decided to suspend the ban "until the end of the 2011 season".

"The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time," read a statement.

The Council however came down hard on Briatore, who has been forever banned from even attending let alone taking part in any FIA-sanctioned series.

The 59-year-old Italian will also have to wind up his FFBB driver management company, because the FIA said it does "not intend to renew any Superlicense granted to any driver ... associated ... with Mr. Briatore" or any of his companies or associates.

Prominent FFBB drivers include Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen.

The FIA said it decided to impose such a harsh penalty on Briatore not only because of the "severity of the breach", but also for "continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence".

Symonds received the same penalty but for only a five-year period, because he admitted taking part in the conspiracy and, in a written submission to Monday's hearing, said it was to his "eternal regret and shame".

Piquet Jr escaped sanction due to his immunity deal, and the FIA confirmed that Alonso played no part in the conspiracy.

"We fully accept the decision of the Council," Renault F1 president Bernard Rey told the media.

"We apologise unreservedly to the F1 community in relation to this unacceptable behaviour. We will issue further information in the next few days."

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Air Asia rumoured to expand F1 involvement?

The Malay Mail has an insider scoop that Air Asia is considering expanding their involvement in F1 by “having their own team”. If this is true, it will probably happen only later as Air Asia is currently still in a 3-year sponsorship deal with the AT&T Williams F1 team as one of their sponsors as parts of their international brand-building efforts.

An overseas F1 news syndicator have linked Air Asia to the BMW Sauber F1 team as a potential purchaser, however Air Asia has stated that their interest in F1 is still AT&T Williams for now and they will continue sponsoring them. If Air Asia expands its role in F1 with a deeper involvement with BMW Sauber F1 it would mean a Malaysian sponsorship “tagteam” of sorts as as the team currently already has a Malaysian sponsor – Petronas.

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Brawn return to Form in Style with 1-2 at Monza

The 2009 championship has become effectively a race between teammates, after the Brawns finished one-two at Monza and their title rivals at Red Bull had a poor Italian grand prix.

"The man sat next to me here is obviously my big rival for the title now," said second placed Jenson Button, referring to his lead over winner Rubens Barrichello that shrank by 2 points to 14 on Sunday.

Red Bull's Mark Webber retired after a first lap clash, leaving his teammate Sebastian Vettel as the Brawns' closest championship rival after struggling to just eighth place.

The German's points gap to drivers' title leader Button, however, blew out to 26 points, meaning he needs to score an unlikely 7 points more than his British rival at each of the remaining four races to be champion.

Ross Brawn suggested F1 must now look within his Brackley based team to find the winner of the 2009 championship.

"All I ask from my drivers now is they compete fairly and openly, they have got to work together fairly, but they're old enough to deal with it," he smiled.

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Air Asia rumoured to expand F1 involvement?

The Malay Mail has an insider scoop that Air Asia is considering expanding their involvement in F1 by “having their own team”. If this is true, it will probably happen only later as Air Asia is currently still in a 3-year sponsorship deal with the AT&T Williams F1 team as one of their sponsors as parts of their international brand-building efforts.

An overseas F1 news syndicator have linked Air Asia to the BMW Sauber F1 team as a potential purchaser, however Air Asia has stated that their interest in F1 is still AT&T Williams for now and they will continue sponsoring them. If Air Asia expands its role in F1 with a deeper involvement with BMW Sauber F1 it would mean a Malaysian sponsorship “tagteam” of sorts as as the team currently already has a Malaysian sponsor – Petronas.

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Extremely Rare McLaren F1 GTR Long Tail in Gulf Team Livery up for Sale

Have your heart set on a race-spec McLaren F1? Then you'll be happy to know that the last F1 GTR to leave McLarens factory has turned up for sale in Japan. From a total production of 100 units, only a mere 28 were F1 GTR race cars built for private customers competing in the FIA GT series and the 24 Heures du Mans. This particular F1 GTR is allegedly the last model of the series with chassis number #28R.
The McLaren race car belonged to the 'Gulf Team Davidoff' and it features the characteristic stretched bodywork of the so-called 'Long Tail' F1 GTR of which only ten were produced in 1997.
The 1997 F1 GTRs were developed to meet major regulation changes made for both the FIA GT Series and the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Aside from the radical aerodynamic enhancements that included a much longer nose and tail, as well as a wider rear wing, the '97 models also featured further improvements to the 600HP BMW Motorsport V12 engine, an all new sequential transmission and a weight reduction of 75kg over the '96 model resulting in a kerb weight of just 915kg or 2,017 lbs.
There's no price tag listed on the Japanese website, but you know the saying - if you have to ask...

[Via: Carscoop , Link: Wintel]

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Heico Sportiv to participate in the 24h Nurburgring Race with bio-ethanol powered Volvo S40

Alternative-fuel powered vehicles are showing up everywhere these days so it doesn’t strike us as a surprise that Volvo specialist, Heico Sportiv announced that it’ll participate in this year’s 24h Nurbugring Race (9-10 June 2007) with a HEICO HS4 ODIN powered by 2.5-litre turbo engine running on E85 bio ethanol. The “24h Nurburgring” is a touring car endurance racing event that’s inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Spa 24 Hours.

PRESS RELEASE: Through the "green hell" with Bio-Power

Weiterstadt, Germany - Motorsport and ecology are not in disagreement with each other. HEICO SPORTIV will prove this as the first racing team running a 2.5 litre turbo engine with E85 bio ethanol.

HEICO SPORTIV will be racing the class winner of the 24h race 2006, the HEICO HS4 ODIN. HEICO SPORTIV PR and Motorsport representative Patrick Brenndφrfer explains: "The drastic reduction of CO2-output is one of the main concerns of the automobile industry for the future. As a tuner and racing team we can also make a difference. By using innovative technologies, motorsport and ecology don't have to be a disagreement."

Bio ethanol E85 is a renewable resource. Ethanol is alcohol-based and is made from starch, sugar and plant cellulose such as corn, sugar beet and cereals. E85 stands for a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% normal gasoline. Using this fuel the CO2 output is almost neutral, because the only carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is that used in developing the plant materials. This is how bio ethanol can be a step to reduce CO2 emissions and slow the greenhouse effect.

The 24h race of the Nurburgring on the 9th through the 10th of June, 2007 sets perfect conditions for future technology teams like HEICO SPORTIV. There had been announced a specific class for alternative fuels. Race manager of the 24h race, Mr Hans Schnock: "Back in the 70's the ADAC Nordrhein announced a diesel class. In the 90's there were the first factory racing teams and the first victory in 1998. By now diesel-cars are completely integrated and make up a big part of the starting grid. We promise the same effect with the new alternative fuel class. Today we have Hybrid powered cars as well as race cars with natural gas, liquid gas, and bio ethanol. Those firms that want to test these technologies have the perfect opportunity at the biggest race on the longest and toughest racetrack in the world."

Project "E85 bio ethanol" isn't reduced to fuel alone. Various modifications to engine, software, fuel system and tank were necessary to meet the requirement of E85 bio ethanol.

Next to the environment issue the endurance race on the Nurburgring has more potential for technical development. The Japanese tire maker TOYO TIRES is expanding its racing activities and is set to deliver exclusively to HEICO SPORTIV 18" prototype-slicks. "The Nurburgring Nordschleife gives TOYO TIRES all possibilities that can be imagined by our tire engineers. For our development this kind of research is very important," said marketing manager Rόdiger Hφlzel. Still on board: Castrol, Eibach, Sebring, and the Volvo Auto Bank.

Located in Weiterstadt/Hessen, HEICO SPORTIV began racing in 1995 at the toughest endurance race for touring cars, the 24h race at the Nόrburgring. After the legendary 850 T5 and various S40s the HEICO HS4 ODIN debuted in 2006. The highlight of a very successful session was the class victory at the 24h race. Finishing the 3.000 kilometer hunt through the green hell is the first goal. It is to prove that bio ethanol can last for the high requirements at the toughest long distance race in the world.

Drivers will once again be the experienced HEICO employees Patrick Brenndφrfer, Frank Eickholt and Martin Mόller.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Peugeot takes pole at 24 Hours of Le Mans for third straight year

It's mid-June and that means it's time for the 24 Hours of Le Mans again. If the past decade is anything to go by, the number one contenders will again be the factory Audis, which have won eight of the last nine races (all nine if you count the 2003 as the Audi it truly was). For the past two years, the big battle for overall glory has been between the diesel-powered Audi R10 and Peugeot 908, and this year looks to be no different aside from Audi having an all new car, the R15, still with TDI power.

While the Peugeots have shown superior speed the last two years, the Audis have had better reliability and pit work. This year, the R15s appear to have made up the speed deficit, and the Germans look set for victory again if the crew can keep them running. Unfortunately for Audi, the race won't start with one of its cars in the lead, as Stephane Sarrazin has once again captured the poll in his Peugeot 908 for a record third straight year. Alan McNish managed to qualify one of Audi's three R15s right behind Sarrazin, but the other two cars managed to qualify only sixth and seventh on the starting grid. Three other Peugeot 908s will start from third, fourth and fifth, respectively, which means diesel power penetrates all the way back to the fourth row on this year's starting grid.

For those interested in following Audi's progress this weekend, the automaker is following up up its Sebring Facebook coverage with even more social media stuff this weekend. You can find photos, videos and news at AudiR15TDI.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Our own Damon Lavrinc will also be reporting live from Le Mans this year, so keep an eye on Autoblog and make sure to follow our Twitter feed all weekend long.

[Sources: Yahoo Eurosport, Audi, AutoCar | Photo by Ker Robertson/Getty Images]

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F1 'Parodia': FIA Adds Ferrari to 2010 Entry List, Scuderia Says We're Not Taking Part

And the dispute continues. On Friday, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) published on its official website the entry list for the 2010 season Formula One World Championship that included Ferrari as a participant. The Italians immediately took action issuing a statement that reconfirmed their intentions to boycott the 2010 season due to a disagreement with the sport's governing body decision to introduce a £40 million (around US$65 million) budget cap into Formula One from next season.

"Ferrari submitted on 29 May 2009 an entry to the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship which is subject to certain conditions. As of today, these conditions have not been met," said Ferrari in a statement.

"Notwithstanding this and despite Ferrari's previous written notice to the FIA not to do so, the FIA has included Ferrari as a unconditional participant in next year's Formula One World Championship. For the avoidance of any doubt, Ferrari reaffirms that it shall not take part in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship under the regulations adopted by the FIA in violation of Ferrari's rights under a written agreement with the FIA."

[Via: Carscoop]

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REPORT: Peugeot lodges protest against the Audi R15 TDI at Le Mans

The drama has already begun at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, albeit not the on-track kind. Peugeot has reportedly lodged a protest against Audi's R15 racer, charging that elements of the car's front wing are illegal. Peugeot asserts that the flap-like sections at the rear of the front wing, where "Michelin" appears in the above pic, are bodywork elements that are not allowed by the technical regulations.

Article 3.6.2 of the ACO's technical regulations allows two aerodynamic elements at the front of the car, but beyond that, "Any bodywork element the function of which is only to generate down force" is prohibited. Said Aston Martin's race head after the car was questioned at March's 12 Hours of Sebring, the components act "exactly like a flap on a wing, with the splitter arrangement acting as the main plane."

Peugeot raised its concerns earlier this year, but the Audi has been scrutinized every race since. Peugeot says it doesn't want to hurt the competition, it simply wants the rules clarified. However, if the Le Mans stewards rule against the French team, it says it will take its case all the way to the FIA. And if that happens, Sunday's result will be unofficial until the high racing court decides. Thanks for the tip, mforty!

[Via: Autoblog ,Source: Motorsport.com]

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Aston to field half-dozen V12 Vantage racers at Nürburgring 24

It started with one lone V8 Vantage, dubbed the N24, that ran the Nürburgring 24-hour race in 2006. Last year, that first racer, a yellow car dubbed "Rose," won class honors in the race. This year, it will be joined by five more Vantages, one of them being the 510 horsepower V12 Vantage introduced in Geneva earlier this year.

Only three of the six cars will be factory efforts. The slightly modified V12 Vantage will be piloted by Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez and three co-drivers, and "Rose" will be driven by another team of three. Privateer entrants will be headed by Richard Kramer, an Austrian Aston dealer whose Vantage N24 is being supported by the factory.

You can read the full press release after the jump, and check out live action from the weekend's qualifying and race at the ADAC site.




[Source: Aston Martin]

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Lexus Reveals LF-A 500HP V10 that will Race at the 24h of Nurburgring!

Even though we have yet to see the production model of the Lexus LF-A study that has been previewed in both coupe and roadster forms in the past, the Japanese automaker decided to put its long anticipated (and overdue...) supercar to the ultimate test by entering two race-spec versions at this weekend's Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race. Seen here for the first time in race livery, the 200mph+ (321km/h) LF-A sportscars are powered by a front-mid mounted V10 engine producing 500HP. The LF-As will be entered by Gazoo Racing, which from what we learned, is a Japanese market, Toyota-owned, e-commence website that has its own racing team.

The team that will tackle the 'Green Hell' will be made up of a combination of professional drivers, Toyota test drivers, dealers and a pilot that Lexus refers to as "Morizo" who is none other than Toyota's soon-to-be CEO Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the firm's founder.

According to a previous release from Lexus, the knowledge gained from the endurance race will be fed back to engineering teams to assist with further development of the production LF-A.

[Source: Carscoop]

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REPORT: NASCAR seen fretting over ratings drop

According to Nielsen, ratings for NASCAR on Fox are down by an alarming 11.5% so far this year, and while we're sure that many NASCAR haters will suggest that it's just not that interesting watching non-stock "stock cars" turning left over and over again as they circle oval tracks, race organizers and TV ratings researchers believe there's much more to the decline in viewership than that.

Certainly, the sorry state of affairs surrounding the world's sagging economy doesn't help matters any, and neither did the rain that forced an early end to the Daytona 500, the sport's pivotal first race of the season. Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group, also points a finger in the direction of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who's second season as part of Hendrick Motorsports isn't exactly going as hoped.

Regardless of its downward ratings trend in '09, it seems most experts on the subject predict the NASCAR brand will pull through over the long haul, although it will be interesting to see if/how the auto industry crisis affects the cash-intensive motorsports series. In the meantime, NASCAR and Fox are reportedly "looking at every angle" to boost viewership in the short term.

[Source: Sports Business Journal | Image: Roger Smith]

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