Pirelli not clear about tyres behaviour for Canadian GP

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Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has said that the tyres behaviour in the recently held Monaco Grand Prix was very strange and he cannot predict anything for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix.

However, Hembery explained that the soft and supersoft tyres will be used in Montreal.

He added that the tyres’ behaviour is always unpredictable before its use and no one can predict anything about them unless they are used on the track. The Pirelli boss further explained the tyres and added that if they are hard and unable to provide the required grip, then they need to wear much faster.

He went on to mention, “The reason we are going super soft and soft is that you want to have grip from the tyre, if you go with something too hard then you end wheel-spinning, tyres grain and they get consumed even quicker.”

Pirelli told the media that at this point, they have no plans to introduce new tyre compounds other than the four which have already been used in the season so far.

Most of the teams are satisfied with Pirelli’s work. So far in the six rounds of the 2011 Formula 1 season, tyres have played an important part in defining the team strategies during the qualifiers and races. At the moment, defending champions and current leaders Red Bull Racing seem to have understood the tyres better than anyone else and their race strategies have been a step ahead of the rest of the pack.

The Canadian Grand Prix will take place on June 12, 2011. Let’s see how Pirelli tyres perform during the weekend.

Ferrari first showroom in India opened in New Delhi

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New Delhi is the home of Ferrari’s first dealership in India and the site of a celebration to welcome them.

Ferrari offered guests its personal story by way of images lining the dealerships streets that detailed the history and style of the brand.

A video message from Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers, was shown.

The drivers told guests they are anticipating their trip to India for the first Indian Grand Prix in October. New Ferrari buyers were privy to an area set aside for them to personalize their new supercar.

Buyers will be guaranteed Official Ferrari Service in a custom designed, elegant setting.

Amedo Felisa, Ferrari CEO and the host of the event, gave a special thanks to the Shreyans Group, the company who handled the importing.

She said of the event “Our objective was to launch the Indian market in 2011 and it’s a pleasure to inaugurate this first dealership here today[27May2011]. We feel that this is the right moment, considering the dynamism of the country and its economy.”

All major Ferrari models-California, 458 Italia, 599 GTB Fiorano and the latest FF-are available and the prices range from Rs 2.27 crore for the California to Rs 3.41 crore for the FF, Ferrari's Indian distributor Shreyans Group said.

India is the 58th market for Ferrari and the entry comes seven yeas after the Prancing Horse marquee, owned by Fiat, drove into China. But it expects the country to emerge a big market.

India, the second-fastest growing car market after China, sold 15,702 luxury cars, including some 300 super-luxury machines, last year. This maket is growing at close to 60% rate.

Ferrari aims to sell more than 100 cars by 2014.

The company would open a second showroom in Mumbai early next year and add another three outlets by the end of 2012.

Ferrari had conducted a 'Magic India Discovery Drive' as a market test exercise in 2008 when it covered more than 13,000 km and touched 57 cities in 74 days.

The 458 Italia will be sold at Rs 2.56 crore (ex-showroom in Delhi), while the 599GTB Fiorano is priced Rs 3.37 crore.

Ferrari sold 6,500 cars in 2010 with the US accounting for about 30% sales, followed by Germany. In China, it sold about 300 cars in 12 dealerships.

Paul Di Resta is the new sensation in F1

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Force India latest driver, 2010 DTM Champion, Rookie Star Paul Di Resta has become a sensation on the F1 Grid as being symbolized as the best new talent in F1.

The young man from Uphall, West Lothian, UK is considered as the most talented rookie of this 2011 season. Di Resta (aged 25) has joined the elite line of Scottish Formula 1 drivers which includes Formula One World Champions Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard.

He has fulfilled his first dream to drive a F1 car. Next on the agenda must surely be his first F1 podium, first victory and first title.

In the 2011 season, the big move happened as Di Resta joined forces with Adrian Sutil as Force India’s driver. He had an impressive start to a season when he scored his maiden points in the Formula 1 on his debut race at Melbourne. He finished at 10th place and he further scored points for the team in the very next Malaysian GP maintained his decent run of form.

In a career which has just started to blossom, Paul has impressed everyone in the Formula 1 grid. He has totally out paced his team mate Adrian Sutil, who is the star driver for the Indian team and has thus made his mark on the grid. So far in the 2011 season, he is the only Force India driver to have made a Q3 appearance despite being the junior driver. Such is his talent which is blossoming at full speed. Here is hoping that he continues to make waves on the F1 circuit and move to greater things.

His talent was even noticed by Mercedes Team Boss Norbert Haug who consider him a great talented driver and this speculated his move to Mercedes in near future. As Mercedes powered engine roar in the Force India, he is surely getting a backing from the team for which he won DTM championship in 2010.

As he was questioned, "who he will call for dinner party from F1". He wants to invite Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio and Enzo Ferrari to dinner.

How Can a Formula 1 Car Drive Upside Down

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It’s been theorized for years that the upside down wings on the front and rear of Formula one racers generate enough downforce that such a car could actually be driven upside down, given the proper speed and a track specially built to allow for such a stunt. This weekend that theory was proven on the Hot Wheels Test Track.

No it wasn’t done with tiny little models, but a real full size driver in a full size Formula 1. The track looked like something built for models, but was a full size race track with a long straightaway allowing the racer to reach the 306-mph speed needed before entering the section of the track that inverted the car to run upside down for what appeared to be a quarter of a mile.

It then came to an opposite track inversion which turned the F1 right side up before the driver, blacked out from the G-force of the second flipover, was slowed automatically to a stop.

Technicians nervously monitored the special NASA-style suit that measured the driver’s biological readings. They held their breath waiting for him to regain consciousness after the amazing feat. After a few tense moments, he pushed up the cover to the cockpit and stepped out of the car.

Next the program showed Tanner Foust’s record setting 322-ft jump in a four wheel vehicle, also with the Hot Wheels logo painted on the side


However, an extensive search of various online resources shows no trace of the remarkable F1 feat. There’s nothing to be found online about the Hot Wheels Test Track, except for a toy by that name, but there it was right on the TV.

It is indeed a strange feeling to see something on the television you can not verify online thereafter, but some cars can drive upside down.

Honestly they can.

Bruno touched By film "senna"

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The Brazilian, who has followed in his uncle's footsteps, said he was 'touched' by the film, which documents the three-time F1 champion's life and decade-long career.

Ayrton Senna died in 1994 from fatal head injuries in a crash at Imola as he pushed his car to the limit, even though the treacherous track had claimed the life of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger the previous day.

Bruno said: 'I had the privilege of watching the movie in a premiere in Brazil; it was interesting seeing it with other people and seeing how they react.'

He explained that the audience were touched by what they saw and added that the previously unseen footage adds something new to his uncle's story.

'People in the UK used to follow Ayrton very closely, so I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I did and it brings them as many memories as it did to me,' Bruno added.

Much of the extra footage came from Bernie Ecclestone's personal archives which he offered to the filmmakers to complete Senna's story.

Known simply as Senna, the film will be released in the UK on Friday (June 3rd).



Senna Made Kapadia an F1 fan

London film-maker Asif Kapadia has admitted he was no Formula 1 fan until he made a new film on the tragic genius of Ayrton Senna.

Kapadia, 39, trawled through 15,000 hours of footage on the Brazilian motor racing champion who died in a crash at Imola in San Marino in 1994 to produce the documentary Senna. It has its premiere in London tonight before its full release on Friday.



Movie is named as:

'Ayrton Senna: Beyond the Speed of Sound' in Japan

'Senna' in Turkey

'Senna: O Brasileiro, O Herói, O Campeão' in Brazil



Senna Movie Release Dates:
Country Date
Japan 7 October 2010 (Suzuka, Mie) (premiere)
Japan 8 October 2010
Brazil 12 November 2010
USA 21 January 2011 (Sundance Film Festival)
Italy 11 February 2011 (limited)
Australia 27 February 2011 (Adelaide Film Festival)
USA 12 March 2011 (South by Southwest Film Festival)
Turkey 6 May 2011
Germany 12 May 2011
France 25 May 2011
Spain 27 May 2011
UK 3 June 2011
Australia 21 July 2011

Team Lotus to include Caterham in near future in F1

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Tony Fernandes recently had purchased Caterham's Cars and now the Team Lotus is planning to include Caterham in the F1 in near future.

As the name row has been cleared and Team Lotus is allowed to keep the name Lotus, Tony Fernandes is expecting to gain some new sponsors for the team.

"I'm very happy," Fernandes told AUTOSPORT. "This is the final piece of our strategy jigsaw now. We have the Team Lotus name, we have the F1 team, we have goodwill, we have the roundel and we have the jewel in Caterham.

"This decision gives us the strategy to move forward, which we are very, very happy about. We will use the F1 team to provide the car company with exposure, and we are looking at bringing out a couple more brands.

"It's good to get this decision out of the way. And, as tough as it was, I am very happy with the outcome because we would not have got Caterham if this trouble hadn't started."

Fernandes revealed that his outfit will soon announce some major new sponsors now that the naming issue has been resolved - and that he expected further commercial opportunities to open up for him.

"We already have Dell, and we have signed up another big sponsor which we will announce before the Canadian Grand Prix," he said. "There are other sponsors out there who said they wanted to wait until after the court case, so I am hopeful of more in the future."



Tony Fernandes is already in a process to rename his GP2 outfit Team Air Asia to Caterham before Valencia round on June 24-26.

"I plan to include Caterham into the GP2 name and we will be applying to the race organisers for a name change. Hopefully that can be done by Valencia."

Back to Back win for Ricciardo in Monaco

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Perth driver Daniel Ricciardo has won the support race in Monaco for the second straight year just hours before the Formula One Grand Prix.

Adding extra horsepower to his claim for an F1 race drive next year, Ricciardo, 21, repeated his victory of a year ago in the 30-lap World Series by Renault race on the street circuit.

Ricciardo is already the reserve driver for F1 world champion team Red Bull Racing and its secondary team Toro Rosso, for which he drives in Friday morning practice at GPs.

So ricciardo is setting a place for him as future Red Bull F1 driver.

Racing in the Renault series for Czech-owned team ISR this season, Ricciardo beat Canadian Robert Wickens by 0.403 seconds.

Wickens was driving for British team Carlin Motorsport, for which Ricciardo won the 2009 British Formula Three Championship.

Last year Ricciardo was a narrow runner-up in the Renault series in his debut season for French team Tech 1 and he is now the first driver in the category to twice win the prestigious Monaco race.

New Zealander Brendon Hartley was third in Sunday's race for a new team in the series, Charouz, while series leader, Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne, was only 12th.

Ricciardo and Vergne are members of Red Bull's elite junior driver development squad, while Wickens and Hartley have been dropped from that squad.