Yesterday, we brought you news that Infiniti was preparing to introduce a Sebastian Vettel edition at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, it appears the model is based on the FX.Sonntag, 28. August 2011
Infiniti Sebastian Vettel edition based on the FX?
Yesterday, we brought you news that Infiniti was preparing to introduce a Sebastian Vettel edition at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, it appears the model is based on the FX.
Samstag, 27. August 2011
Car Infographics: Saving Money with DIY Repairs
A recent study by the Automobile Association of America determined that one out of four people can’t pay for their vehicle’s major repairs, and worse yet, are even trying to cut down on costs by avoiding their regular maintenance altogether. For a four-wheeled machine that gets more than its fair share of use, avoiding your vehicle’s regular checkups can be a dangerous thing. So, what can you do to cut down on those pesky maintenance bills? Some people are starting to do minor repairs on their own.
Two major components bring in the most revenue for repair shops: Mark-up parts and hourly labor. A car repair shop gets discounted "wholesale" prices on their parts, but they turn around and sell them to their customer’s at retail price. Retail prices can vary, but in most cases, the repair shop isn’t hunting down for the cheapest retail prices to pass to their customers. Then there’s the hourly labor. The national average hourly rate for mechanics is $79. The hourly rate is even more disastrous with the repair shops flat rate billing. For example, if a customer is quoted four hours for a repair, that is what the customer will be charged, even if the repair takes three or five hours. We’re guessing that, most of the time, it takes less time than the customer was quoted.
This is where the money-saving kicks in. By eliminating the middle man for minor repairs, owners can start saving money and avoid expensive major repairs caused by lack of car maintenance. So, break out your tool belt and get to work; your wallet will thank you.
Find more helpful tidbits, as well as the monetary breakdown of some of the typical minor repairs, by checking out the rest of the infographic, and as always, remember to check back with us for the next installment in our Car Infographics series.
Car Infographics: Saving Money with DIY Repairs originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 August 2011 19:00 EST.
A more realistic order
Mark Webber led the way in the second practice session at Spa on Friday, beating Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari by a tenth of a second, with the McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton in hot pursuit. Felipe Massa was fifth in the second Ferrari, ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes, the Sauber of Sergio Perez, Nico [...]
Ted Whiteaway Graham Whitehead Peter Whitehead Bill Whitehouse
Hungarian Grand Prix is too close to call
At the Hungaroring
Fresh from the thrills of Germany's rollercoaster race, Formula 1's main protagonists are all steeling themselves for another intense fight for victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Just over half a second split the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel during Friday practice at the Hungaroring.
Taking into account the fact that the rival teams all run different programmes during Friday's bedding-in sessions - and champions Red Bull rarely reveal their true pace - it was incredibly close.
Button, who was 0.3 seconds shy of team-mate Hamilton's leading time, predicted the race weekend ahead would definitely follow the same pattern.
"Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren are all looking very strong," said Button. "I wish we had a bit more of an advantage."
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Alonso, a serious driver not necessarily famed for his positive outlook, gleefully branded it "good news" that "more than one or two cars can fight for victory".
In contrast, Red Bull's championship leader Vettel, who has a healthy 77-point lead to protect, displayed rare signs of anxiety saying: "We need to raise our game if we want to be at the front."
Red Bull blitzed last year's Hungarian race, with Webber taking the victory as Vettel finished third after he was penalised for breaking the rules when driving behind the safety-car.
The pair were in more cautious mood on Friday but, intriguingly, both Vettel and Webber showed consistent pace during their longer stints in the afternoon, which suggests they are able to eke steady performance out of their tyres.
Alonso stayed out on track for a maximum 10-lap run but also steadily ticked over similar lap times. In comparison, 13-lap stints for both Hamilton and Button were blotted by fluctuating times, although the pace of Hamilton, in particular, was especially impressive if you removed the anomalous laps.
With the soft and super-soft Pirelli tyres available this weekend, all the leading drivers agreed tyre management would be a decisive factor on the circuit's low-grip surface.
The unusually grey skies above the Hungaroring could have a significant effect on tyre performance, especially when it comes to getting them up to optimum temperature during qualifying.
Chilly conditions at the Nurburgring helped Hamilton beat his rivals to the flag, and while it is nowhere near as cold in Hungary, it is also some way from the hot and sunny conditions that prevailed last year.
Hamilton conceded the cooler climate had helped him set the pace on Friday but even if the sunny skies return McLaren are confident they have now solved the problems with their tyre management in hot conditions that hampered them in Valencia.
Separating the leading drivers in Hungary could well come down to their mental attitude going into the race weekend.
Those close to Hamilton said he simply looked "on it" all weekend in Germany, leading some to tell him he would win the race even when the 2008 champion was pouring water on his chances after practice.
Hamilton looks to be in a similarly upbeat frame of mind in Hungary and has been looking relaxed in the company of his brother Nicolas, while Button has also been sporting his trademark smile after two difficult races.
Aside from the distractions of celebrating his 30th birthday with an impromptu appearance from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Alonso was adamant he could squeeze more out of his Ferrari.
But there is one man on a definite mission in Hungary as Vettel is zoned in on his first win in three races. He insisted: "Here we want to be on top again."
BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle summed up the champion team's chances, saying: "The tide is turning against Red Bull. If they are going to arrest that this is the perfect place to do it - but the early signs are that they've got their hands full."
UPDATE AT 1750 ON SATURDAY:
The fight for pole in Hungary was just as close as those involved in the battle predicted it would be, with just half a second separating the top five drivers.
After ending a three-race wait for a pole, it gave Vettel another chance to come out with his trademark line over the car radio: "Yes, yes, this is what I'm talking about."
But his hunt for a seventh win of the season at the Hungaroring might not be as straightforward.
Alonso, who starts in fifth, predicts Ferrari will be even more competitive than they were at the last race in Germany and he also backed his old rival and team-mate, McLaren's Hamilton, to have better race pace than Vettel's Red Bull.
Hamilton himself declared himself, "massively happy to be in the fight" even if he did just miss out on his first pole position in more than a year.
Webber, who started in sixth as a result of issues with his DRS overtaking device on his hot lap, described Red Bull's race pace as encouraging but stopped short of saying it was more than a match for the resurgence McLaren and Ferraris.
Red Bull know they are in for a tight battle on Sunday but they are confident they are up to the challenge.
Luigi Villoresi Emilio de Villota Ottorino Volonterio Jo Vonlanthen
MOTOGP: Stoner & Spies - Similar Speed, Differing Opinions
Ben Spies and Casey Stoner were the leading men at IMS on Friday. However, despite their similar form, they were of two different opinions concerning the track's surface.
Freitag, 26. August 2011
Honda touts euro-spec Civic's quiet ride [video]
Latest video on the upcoming next-generation Civic shows how engineers have worked to refine the cabin experience of the car.Luminaries gather to honour Button
At the Hungaroring
Once the intense competition of qualifying was over in Hungary, the Formula 1 fraternity put aside their rivalries for an unusual social occasion.
Luminaries from the top to the bottom of the paddock had crammed into McLaren's buzzing motorhome on Saturday evening to celebrate Jenson Button's 200th Grand Prix.
It was a fascinating scene for the F1 voyeur. Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali stood chatting to Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug with a friendly arm around his shoulder. Team Lotus driver Jarno Trulli perched on a stool under the towering presence of Silver Arrows team boss Ross Brawn as Sauber's Sergio Perez mingled with the Virgin Racing drivers.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso nearly stole the show when the former McLaren arch-rivals warmly embraced each other, suggesting the particularly bitter cold war between the 2007 team-mates was well and truly thawing.
But the evening had been arranged by McLaren to mark Button's career and each of the 31-year-old's previous team bosses - with the exception of exiled Renault boss Flavio Briatore and BAR-Honda chief Dave Richards - spoke enthusiastically about the Somerset-born racer.
Button's F1 career began in 2000 when he beat Brazilian Bruno Junqueira in a shoot-out for a Williams race seat.
Sir Frank Williams had a unique take on the then 20-year-old, recalling: "In those days he was devastatingly good-looking and was always being pursued.
F1 drivers celebrate Jenson Button's 200th grand prix with the McLaren driver. Photo: McLaren
"He is a top, top guy. I really think that. He knew exactly how to get to the top and was completely unstoppable."
After two seasons with the Benetton team, which was re-branded Renault, Button lost his drive to Alonso and joined BAR, which then morphed into Honda.
The Japanese team helped the Englishman win his first race at the 113th attempt in 2006 in the only wet race - so far - to be held at the Hungaroring.
Shortly afterwards Brawn joined Honda, and under the former Ferrari technical guru Button went on to claim the world title in 2009 with the renamed Brawn Grand Prix team.
Brawn toasted his former charge, saying: "Jenson has got some essential qualities; speed, honesty, integrity and professionalism. Eventually he put all those things together in 2009.
"The greatest compliment I can pay him is I'm really sad he's not driving for us still."
Luckily, Michael Schumacher - who just happened to win a record seven world titles with Brawn - and his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg weren't around to weigh the implications of that remark.
It was left to Martin Whitmarsh, Button's chief at McLaren for the last two seasons, to fill in the gaps in the Englishman's career.
"Grand prix wins 10, pole positions seven, podiums 35, fastest laps four, number of points 650..." Whitmarsh began before Button tried to boost his statistics saying: "Why can't you make some of this up?"
Whitmarsh continued: "What [the list] doesn't say is; a great world champion and a fantastic ambassador to F1 - and the son of a smurf." The latter - and lesser-known fact - was a humorous reference to Dad John Button's nickname 'Papa Smurf'.
Finally, Button took centre stage, surveyed the room of F1 faces, friends, media and McLaren staff before choosing his words carefully.
"Wow! 200," he had begun. "Somebody actually asked me the other day what does 200 mean to you and first of all I thought they were talking about the number of PR days I've done this year.
"For a racing driver, the number normally doesn't mean so much but it makes you think back to the good times you've had - and the bad times.
"Winning the world championship was a big thing for me but winning grands prix and fighting it out with the best, I'm very lucky to be in that position.
"It's not over yet. I'm hoping for many, many more. Martin..?"
Silverstone leased?
The word on the street is that Silverstone circuit has been leased for the next 100 years by the British Racing Drivers’ Club. The deal is believed to be worth in the region of $400 million. The details of the transaction and the identity of the leasee are not currently clear, but an announcement is [...]
Asmat gets a promotion
Tony Fernandes and fellow Team Lotus shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin have decided that Riad Asmat should be promoted to Group CEO of The Formula 1 team, the Caterham Team AirAsia GP2 team and Caterham Cars. He will also oversee merchandising and engineering. This is an interesting move as it creates the potential for [...]
Markus Winkelhock Reine Wisell Roelof Wunderink Alexander Wurz
Rendering: 2013 Maserati Baby Quattroporte
After seven years of high end luxury and sales, the Quattroporte is changing it up just a bit to please a greater chunk of the luxury sedan market. One of the major changes befalling Maserati’s flagship model is the addition of a younger brother. The baby Quattroporte will be arriving in the middle of 2012 and is rumored to be priced at $68,000.
The whole idea behind the baby version is to please Maserati customers complaining that the standard Quattroporte was too big. The Italian luxury car manufacturer responded by providing a shorter wheelbase, thereby shrinking the vehicle in general. Recent spy shots have also shown smaller front brakes, an ill-fitting windscreen, and one exhaust on each of the vehicle’s rear end. Say what you want, but we need to see this to believe it which is why we created this rendering as a portal to the future.
As far as power goes, rumors have been circulating that Maserati will be dropping their Ferrari-sourced V8 engines and picking up a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter version of the Chrysler?s Pentastar. This has yet to be confirmed, but seems to be a viable option considering the extreme pressure on automakers to improve fuel consumption. The problem with this engine, though, is that the standard Pentastar V6 only delivers a total of 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, a far cry from the Quattroporte’s 400 HP. However, the turbocharging should help out in that department. Whatever the output is, this engine will be mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Rendering: 2013 Maserati Baby Quattroporte originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 August 2011 20:00 EST.
Donnerstag, 25. August 2011
Tom Cruise tests out Formula 1 car ? Coulthard has his say
Hollywood star Tom Cruise has been testing out Formula 1 cars with Red Bull in California. The event was part of a promotional tour from Red Bull and BBC Pundit David Coulthard was on hand to rate Cruise’s driving skills. He said: “Tom’s the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so [...]
Aston Martin V12 Zagato road-going version revealed for Frankfurt
Production is slated to begin in mid-2012 and will be limited to around 150 units.1969 Dodge Charger R/T
Hello! 
Here is my latest work. Sixty-nine Charger from Revell. There're lots of big issues on the build such as the radiator is too fit for the engine compartment and I need to reassemble all of it! so the build was pending for a while. I almost give up on it but this is my favorite muscle so I decided to complete it a week ago. I painted with custom blend orange with black vinyl roof. I'm so happy with it after it was finished. Hope you like it!
Thanks for looking…JOE
Mittwoch, 24. August 2011
Why Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship
Michael Schumacher?s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive.� The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion.� He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career.� So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It?s [...]
Raikkonen tests Le Mans Peugeot in Spain | F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Kimi Raikkonen tests for Peugeot's Le Mans team at Motorland Aragon in Spain.
Sutil relishes ?favourite circuit?
Ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Adrian Sutil has spoken of how much he enjoys racing at Spa-Francorchamps. Speaking about the famous venue of this weekend’s race, the Force India driver said: “I always say that Spa is my favourite circuit of the year.” “I just love the place. There’s nowhere else like it [...]
1/25 International Light to Medium duty trucks
Years ago, several resin-casters made a wicked, wicked mess of IH kits, transkits, and parts. Where'd they all go? I'd love to have a Travelall, a Loadstar 1600, an Emeryville, or D-series pickup (or ten) in my collection. SJS used to make a sweet '38 IH COE cab... now SJS is history. Any good places to find this stuff.... if it's still out there at all?
Looking forward to a rare break
In Budapest
There are some questions that you hardly ever hear when working in and around the Formula 1 circus and "are you having a holiday?" is certainly one of them.
Such is the constant nature of a season: the relentless march of race followed by race means the concept of a holiday tends to be alien to all F1 personnel from March to November.
However, that doesn't apply today. As I write this blog, I'm sitting waiting for the plane to fly us home, and the various F1 team members, still wearing their kit, are discussing what they will do to fill the gap between now and the next race, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa at the end of August.
Well, I have my break already mapped out as I've a very important job to do. My awesome little brother Tom is getting married this month so I have Best Man duties to perform.
It can be so easy to get caught up in the F1 bubble and lose perspective of what is really important in life. Particularly this weekend, when at times it has seemed like the whole world revolves around the BBC and Formula 1.
It was certainly all we talked about among ourselves. Well, now that the race is over I can press the reset button and remind myself that family and occasions like 'Nipper's' wedding is actually the 'real world' and it helps put things into perspective.
Next weekend is the stag do but I can't write anything about it here in case he reads it. I'll need my speech written the weekend after, and then it's a family barbeque seven days after that.
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When I got married, the speech went on for 40 minutes and I'm sure I'll be under strict instructions not to go on too much this time!
I'll also find space for a break, and apart from that it's time to recharge the batteries - and boy do I need it, especially after this weekend.
So, let's talk about the news about the UK TV rights which emerged over the weekend.
Having a broad understanding of television, the state the wider industry is in, and the challenges facing my own employer is essential for me. It helps me do my job better, understand how various decisions are taken, and plan for the future.
Against that backdrop I had a sense that there was a very real threat that F1 was going to be lost from the BBC for good after this year and I knew that various conversations were taking place at a much higher level than I am privy to.
I, like many of you, had seen the headlines over the past month and I suspected that we would get some news sooner rather than later. However, contrary to popular belief I didn't have the inside track on what was happening and on Thursday evening I went for dinner and then bed thinking it was set to be just like any other race weekend.
I then woke up at 7am as my phone was ringing - Ben Gallop the BBC F1 boss had flown to Budapest, was in the lobby of the hotel and had news on the TV deal.
The next few hours went by in something of a haze. There was some understandable sadness and confusion as the news sunk in that things were changing. I think my breakfast consisted of one mouthful of coffee.
I honestly believe there is only one way to do this job and it is to give 100% at all times. Since 2009 we have constantly looked to change, evolve and improve our coverage every week and I'm really proud of the job we've done.
Despite the jet lag, hours spent in airports and cramped journeys across the globe (the flip-side to the 'glamour' of F1!), every member of the production team on camera and behind the scenes feel so blessed and lucky to do this job - and our only aim has been to produce the best output for the audience. That has always been the mantra: keeping you guys and your entertainment at the centre of our decisions.
My highlights so far include: interviewing Max Mosley in 2009 as a breakaway threat loomed, when he ended up calling Flavio Briatore a "loony"; bringing you as close as possible to the sport when we were in the garage as Jenson Button won the world title; and our Bafta-winning show from Abu Dhabi last year, when we saw Sebastian Vettel crowned the youngest ever champion.
I can honestly say I have never worked with a more talented or dedicated team. From free practice early on a Friday to the F1 Forum that often finishes two hours after the race, we try to get you to the heart of the drama.
I love standing next to Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard in the paddock - and thank you for inviting us into your living rooms every weekend. I know how special it is to be in this position, and you have made it such a pleasure with your feedback and loyalty.
Now, please don't take the above as me saying those days are over! It's just inevitable that after the news of the weekend, and the messages of support we've received, I can't help but reflect on what we've done since March 2009 and how we've gone about doing it.
Trust me that we will be working even harder to make the end of this year a resounding success on the BBC and looking to be stronger, better and more professional than ever.
There's no disguising that from next year it will be different. I know it is frustrating for you to not yet know the finer detail - and as soon as we have it worked out, you will be the first to know.
From the presenting team to the races we cover live, to the transmission times of the highlights shows and how we make those a success too. You will again be central to how the BBC make those decisions.
And after 2011 please be assured of this: the BBC will endeavour to make the overall F1 offering as enthralling and compelling as possible. We never take our work for granted and we will be always be driven by that desire to produce the best shows for you, our audience.
I think the drama on the track, coupled with the kind of treatment the media as a whole has given it recently, has taken Formula 1 to new people and new heights. From 2012 onwards it won't be quite the same on the BBC - but the effort and passion invested in covering the sport certainly won't diminish.
I'm proud of what we continue to bring you - this weekend being yet another reminder of what this incredible sport can deliver, and I look forward to sharing more moments like Jenson's win after the summer break.
Have a great summer. I'm off to get working on that speech...
Jake
If you would like to comment on the new UK television rights deal, please go to the BBC's head of F1 Ben Gallop's blog on that subject
Dienstag, 23. August 2011
Volkswagen EV concept headed to Frankfurt
Volkswagen has announced plans to introduce a new electric vehicle concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.Vic Wilson Joachim Winkelhock Manfred Winkelhock Markus Winkelhock
Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model
American Medical News reports hospitals in at least a dozen countries are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronisation of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care.
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."
Jenson Button produces Hungarian masterclass
On Saturday evening in Hungary, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were two of the luminaries who joined Jenson Button to celebrate the occasion of his 200th grand prix. Twenty-four hours later they stood either side of the McLaren driver as he celebrated another superb win in the tricky wet-dry conditions in which he excels.
Every one of Button's four wins since he joined McLaren at the start of last season has come in wet-dry races, conditions which reward the deftness of touch and exquisite feel for grip levels that the 31-year-old has displayed from the very beginning of his Formula 1 career.
"I'm always pretty lucky in these conditions," Button said in the news conference after the race, but it has absolutely nothing to do with good fortune. It is about skill and judgement.
It was a drive as perfect as the symmetry that saw him take his second win of the year at his 200th grand prix and at the same track where five years ago he finally took his first victory at the 113th attempt, also in mixed conditions.
Button has something of a sixth sense, a way of feeling the limits of what is possible in conditions where the track is damp but not soaking wet, that goes beyond that of nearly all his rivals, and he demonstrated it vividly again at the Hungaroring on Sunday.
Perhaps only Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton has the same deftness and certainty of touch in rainy conditions - the younger McLaren man also has a clutch of brilliant wet wins on his CV. But even he was caught out by the tricky combination of a low-grip track surface and a sprinkling of mid-race rain.
It was not, though, Hamilton's lap 47 spin at the chicane that lost him the race, nor the decision five laps later, while disputing the lead with Button, to stop for intermediate tyres. By then, the writing was already on the wall.
No, the critical moment for Hamilton was his third stop on lap 40.
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McLaren fitted another set of the super-soft tyres to Hamilton's car, while Red Bull - whose cars stopped on the laps immediately before and after him - fitted the harder prime tyre, the idea being to run it for the final 30 laps of the race. Button, who stopped two laps after Hamilton, did the same.
Of the front-runners, only Alonso did the same as Hamilton - and the Ferrari driver needed to gamble to try to clear the Red Bull of Mark Webber, which had been holding him up for much of the race.
Once that choice was made, Hamilton's only hope of winning was to use what should have been the extra grip of the softer tyre to quickly pull out enough of a lead to make the additional pit stop he was going to need, as the super-softs were never going to get him to the end of the race.
Instead, with rain starting to fall, Button started closing at about a second a lap. Who knows, perhaps that was what prompted Hamilton's spin. Perhaps, feeling the race slipping away, he was pushing just that little bit too hard.
The incident led to a diverting - and thoroughly entertaining - couple of laps as the two McLaren team-mates passed and re-passed each other, showing fantastic judgement and respect as they raced wheel to wheel for the lead.
But a diversion was all it was.
Up in the stewards room, they were about to hand Hamilton a drive-through penalty for forcing Force India driver Paul di Resta - producing yet another impressive drive - to take avoiding action as the McLaren spin-turned back into the race.
Meanwhile, out on the track, Hamilton, struggling with a radio problem that meant he could hear the team but they could not hear him, was called in to change to intermediate tyres, and he obeyed. Right behind him, Button got the same call, he revealed on the BBC post-race forum on the red button, but ignored it.
On that decision hung the victory. Had Button come in, he would have needed to stop again for dry tyres - as did Hamilton and Webber, who also changed to intermediates during the shower - and Vettel would have won the race.
As it was, the German took second place with a calm, mature, understated but effective drive that has made his grip on the championship even more vice-like than it already was.
Vettel has not won for three races now, and there is no doubt that Red Bull are slightly on the back foot, but still he left Hungary with a bigger championship lead than he had when he arrived.
Vettel is now 85 points ahead of second-placed Webber rather than 77, with Hamilton a further three points back, Alonso one behind the Englishman and Button 100 points, four clear wins, adrift in fifth.
Nevertheless, the man who has scored the most points in the last four races is Alonso, even if Vettel's impressive consistency means he has notched up only three points fewer despite not winning since Valencia at the end of June.
The Ferrari was genuinely fast again in Hungary, and Alonso had the pace to contest the lead battle had not a difficult opening lap led to a messy first half of the race stuck behind other cars.
Alonso did not help himself - he had to pass both Mercedes drivers twice because he made mistakes after overtaking them the first time and let them back in front. He then spent the second stint with Webber blocking his progress, before his tyre gamble got him some free air.
Had it not been for Webber's mistake in fitting intermediates and Hamilton's penalty, that strategy call would not have paid off, and Alonso would have ended the race still stuck down in fifth.
Nevertheless, Alonso, like the McLaren drivers, has sensed a shift in the balance of power and that is something all the protagonists will be pondering in the three-week summer break before the Belgian Grand Prix.
"The second part of the championship should be good for us," Alonso said. "Spa, with medium- and high-speed corners, should suit the team, and then Monza is our home race."
Red Bull, it is clear, are vulnerable in the races, and wins are there for the taking. But unless some kind of disaster befalls Vettel - or all his rivals start finishing ahead of him all the time, rather than just the odd one or two - the championship is already gone.
If you want to comment on the new UK TV rights deal, please visit the blog written by BBC head of F1 Ben Gallop. We would ask you please to restrict your comments here to the topic covered.
Q2: Alonso still ahead
Fernando Alonso stayed fastest in the Q2 session in Budapest, three-tenths ahead of Jenson Button and then the two Red Bulls with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Felipe Massa was fifth with Lewis Hamilton sixth, the two Merces (Rosberg ahead of Schumacher). The last to go through to Q3 were Adrian Sutil and Sergio Perez. [...]
Montag, 22. August 2011
Blog off?
The F1 circus has disappeared off to different corners of the world to get a bit of a break. The F1 factories are closing down and everyone is dusting off their buckets and spades and heading for the beaches. It is time for this blog to shut down as well. I’ll be back in action [...]
Morgan confirms EV development
Morgan is developing a high-performance electric sportscar prototype which will be unveiled in early 2012.Second US GP destined for New Jersey?
New Jersey has once again emerged as a potential host for a second US GP, which would run in addition to the Austin event. The mayors of two neighbouring New Jersey towns have expressed an interest in holding a race … Continue reading 
Jos Verstappen Sebastian Vettel Gilles Villeneuve Jacques Villeneuve
Nine wannabe winners
That was another fabulous race in Hungary, with the top three teams fighting for the win but in every Formula 1 race there are 12 teams and 24 drivers.
I've been taking a look at how some of the smaller teams like Force India and Sauber are faring at the mid-way point of the 2011 season, as well as picking the nine drivers who have impressed me most so far.
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If you are outside the UK, you can watch the video here.
Murray gives his thoughts on the new UK television rights deal here.
If you would like to comment on the new UK television rights deal, please go to the BBC's head of F1 Ben Gallop's blog on that subject
Tony Trimmer Maurice Trintignant Wolfgang von Trips Jarno Trulli
Sonntag, 21. August 2011
Mobius Lonestar box-stock project - 10 weeks to go !!
OK so this post is to record a challenge I have set myself, and hopefully it will be both entertaining and of some use to you at the same time. First some background - I first saw the Lonestar on the internet around the end of October 2009, and was instantly "blown away" by the Batman styling - straight out of Gotham City! Great promo videos on you tube too. As an ex- truck driver, it almost made me want to go out and buy one and get back on the road. Even if it is a Pro-star with just a new hood as some have said, I reckon it's great that someone would take the leap and build something that looks like that.
When I saw the Mobius kit coming out, I knew I had to be the "first kid on the block" with one at our local show. Given that I am always floored by adding too much detail, have little time to build ( like most of us ), and therefore RARELY get anything FINISHED, I figured "box stock" would have to be the only way to go. This class means you have to get the best out of the kit provided, so I figured it would be a good showcase of the model's quality, as well as my skill in showing it off.
With that said, I have had the kit for 10 days, and have another 10 weeks to go before the show. I have been taking some pics of the build as I go, and will try to post them up as I go along. I will also put in some commentary, as this being a new kit, you may find some of my mistakes helpful, so that you don't have to make them !
Finally, in this day and age, I should probably make the disclaimer that I am in no way affiliated with Navistar, Mobius or any other part of the hobby. Just one guy having fun, and all opinions expressed are my own. That, however, is what I figure these boards are all about.
That said, I have to commend the guys at Mobius for releasing this kit. It's great to see new stuff, especially when it is a new model that no-one has done before. I have bought 2 so far - go out and get one now to support our hobby!
I always start a complicated kit with the frame and major sub assemblies. I tend to work from what can't be adjusted ( eg. radiator and hood hinge to frame mounts ) back to what can ( cab position ) in order to align cab openings etc. I started with cleaning up the ejector pin marks on the frame rails ( see below ).
These cleaned up well. I also "machined" the top and bottom of the rails by sanding them on my favourite surface - a piece of 400 grit wet or dry paper used wet on an offcut of plate glass ( $1.50 picture frame from the discount store ). This provides a flat surface for the frame when assembling, so that the frame remains "square". The rails in my kit were quite warped ( see shot along sprue ) which is not surprising given their length, so I assembled the rear cross braces and both rails with liquid cement, and weighted them with some tool steels that I had. The whole assembly was aligned longitudonally, using the lines on a cutting mat, and left to dry overnight.
With the rear complete, the front rails can be seen to splay quite badly. I therefore decided to complete the front of the frame to brace it square, which is a departure from the order of assembly shown in the instructions.
Graham Whitehead Peter Whitehead Bill Whitehouse Robin Widdows
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