Formula 1 - 2008 Season

[tongue_of_colicab]

Whoops? I don't have original source yet, but some rumors on another forum said that Honda has found an undocumented feature from the ECU McLaren (or rather, McLaren's daughter company or something) is supplying to all teams this year. Apparently by pressing certain 3 buttons in right order the ECU changes a bit, putting the car to state a bit similar to now forbidden launch control

Well launch controll wouldnt even be so bad, its more TC that ruins the racing more. Luckely you will easily hear that by the sound the engine makes. But would Macca really be able to hide this? as MS is also involved in making it so than there has to be a pact between MS and the macca but that is to no benifit for MS.

 

[Kaotik]

Well launch controll wouldnt even be so bad, its more TC that ruins the racing more. Luckely you will easily hear that by the sound the engine makes. But would Macca really be able to hide this? as MS is also involved in making it so than there has to be a pact between MS and the macca but that is to no benifit for MS.

Launch control is form of TC

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Well yes it is, but what I ment is that launch controll isnt having nearly as big as a effect on the race as TC has.

 

[Mendel]

Whoops? I don't have original source yet

I'd sure like to see some kind of source, if nothing else, then a link to those rumors on that other forum. I'm very close to reporting this to Finnish mainstream media, what a scoop

Also I'm very interested in leaking inside information towards Reuters if any F1 engineer visiting here would wish to start PMing me!

 

[Kaotik]

I'd sure like to see some kind of source, if nothing else, then a link to those rumors on that other forum. I'm very close to reporting this to Finnish mainstream media, what a scoop

Also I'm very interested in leaking inside information towards Reuters if any F1 engineer visiting here would wish to start PMing me!

Well I read it from Muro, hopefully someone posts the original source there (I'm sure you're familiar on what Muro means )

 

[Mendel]

thx, I'll take a look

 

[Nick[FM]]

I think this is the original source:

http://www.racingworld.it/f1/notizi...-honda-scopre-un-bug-sulla-centralina-mclaren

Use babelfish or translate.google if you can't get a hang of it!

Cheers,

Nick

 

[_xxx_]

Launch control is way overrated, this from the designer of one such system. And yes, it surely is a form of traction control in purely technical terms. You control the torque so the wheels are on the limit of slipping or slightly doing so.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Schumacher to test alongside Raikkonen

Michael Schumacher will make his debut at the wheel of Ferrari's 2008 contender at the final group test of the pre-season in Spain next week.

We have learned that the 39-year-old German, who retired from competition at the end of 2006, is scheduled to run in the F2008 on Monday, as reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen also tests the Melbourne-spec F2008 at Barcelona.

It will be the first time that the two famous drivers have gone 'head-to-head' in the same car at the same circuit, and the occasion is therefore certain to draw much attention in the racing world.

Schumacher is scheduled to hand over the F2008 to Raikkonen's current team-mate Felipe Massa for the other two days of the test at Montmelo, a municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.

In recent months, the German has previously tested for Ferrari at Barcelona and Jerez.

Meanwhile, at the Circuit de Catalunya today, Ferrari is exclusively conducting a full race simulation, with Massa and official test driver Luca Badoer in command of the cars.

News Source: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/080222150938.shtml

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Hamilton sets the pace at Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton maintained the slight speed edge that McLaren have shown against rivals Ferrari in Barcelona, when he topped the times on the first day of this week's final full pre-season test.

The morning had started in damp conditions but a dry line appeared in the early afternoon to allow teams some chance to get on with evaluating their final developments ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's best lap was just a few hundredths of a second faster than Kimi Raikkonen, with Michael Schumacher returning to action in the 2008 car to set the third best time.

Kazuki Nakajima maintained the continued impressive pace of the Williams to end up fourth quickest, ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen and Williams teammate Nico Rosberg.

Nick Heidfeld recovered from a mechanical problem in the morning, that left him stranded between Turns 4 and 5, to set the eighth best time.

Today's times:

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time      Laps
 1.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:22.276   78
 2.  Raikkonen     Ferrari              (B)  1:22.319   82
 3.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari              (B)  1:22.428   83
 4.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:22.724   54
 5.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:22.852   71
 6.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:22.974  108
 7.  Alonso        Renault              (B)  1:23.021   79
 8.  Heidfeld      BMW-Sauber           (B)  1:23.075   75
 9.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:23.091   62
10.  Vettel        Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:23.115   71
11.  Sutil         Force India-Ferrari  (B)  1:23.188   95
12.  Klien         BMW-Sauber           (B)  1:23.239   43
13.  Liuzzi        Force India-Ferrari  (B)  1:23.270   70
14.  Piquet        Renault              (B)  1:23.442   42
15.  Glock         Toyota               (B)  1:23.609   86
16.  Kobayashi     Toyota               (B)  1:23.880   29
17.  Barrichello   Honda                (B)  1:24.460  115
18.  Wurz          Honda                (B)  1:24.667  109
19.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:24.826   25

Read More: autosport.com - F1 News: Hamilton sets the pace at Barcelona

 

[Gerry]

I know it's just pre-season testing and all, but kudos to Williams for seemingly putting together a decent package so far. Yet another testing session where they've done well.

I feared for them this season but things are looking up.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Yeah williams looks nice. Though force india looks good too. Seems there might come something good out of the team finally?

Honda and toyota are laughable again. Seriously, how do these companies manage to screw up so bad? they invest among the most in F1 but they just cant manage to build even a half decent car. Especially toyota. It hurts your eyes to see team that have budgets into the hundreds of millions not doing much better than a team that had a 60million budget last year and a car that is based on a car that should have been in a museum 10 years ago already.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I suspect that Williams are trying to convince Toyota management to quit the current team effort and give Williams manufacturer engine support!

 

[Bludd]

I'm sure Williams would do a heck of a better job with all those millions than Toyota F1.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Well, I'd imagine that Williams are on about half the budget Toyota are - you'd have to be dense not to notice the differential between them when they are using the same engines.

 

[Bludd]

Well, I'd imagine that Williams are on about half the budget Toyota are - you'd have to be dense not to notice the differential between them when they are using the same engines.

Exactly. Too bad, because I think that Toyota won't do it on reasons of prestige.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I suspect that Williams are trying to convince Toyota management to quit the current team effort and give Williams manufacturer engine support!

What makes you think they don't give Williams, Toyota manufacterer engines? Hell, just because Williams does well doesn't mean that Toyota would shoot their own feet by not giving Williams the best possible engines available. I mean it is called Williams Toyota.

I know Renault give Red Bull their latest engines and think Toyota do the same with Williams, as per the engine deal signed between Toyota and Williams.

US

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

As far as I know the concorde agreement also states that the latest engines have to be given to customer teams too. Not that it matters alot with the current engine freeze as there will be very little difference between engine models anyway and most if will even be reliability and not performance as that is forbidden.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

McLaren top the timesheets again

Ferrari may be the pre-season favourite for many, but McLaren Mercedes topped the timesheets again today at Circuit de Catalunya. The rains that hampered recent running were not a factor today allowing the ten teams present to complete the planned test programme.

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in his MP4-23 with a best lap of 1:21.234s, two-tenths ahead of new team-mate Heikki Kovalainen. Rivals Ferrari had Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa on hand today, the duo recording the third and fifth fastest time with Nico Rosberg splitting the duo in the impressive Williams Toyota FW30.

Force India Ferrari continue to show well in pre-season testing with Giancarlo Fisichella on driving duty for the team today, recording the sixth fastest time in the revised VJM01 package.

Sebastian Vettel spent the day testing David Coulthard’s Red Bull Renault as the veteran racer jarred his neck yesterday and opted to sit out today’s running. Vettel set the seventh fastest lap of the day and completed 109 laps, more than any other runner.

With just one Toro Rosso Ferrari available this week, Sebastien Bourdais took over where Vettel left off yesterday setting the 16th best time just ahead of Webber in the second RB4.

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld continued to put miles on the so-far disappointing F1.08 with the eighth and 15th best times, while Jenson Button gave Honda some much needed encouragement as he managed the ninth fastest time in his RA108. Team-mate Barrichello was 14th.

Tonio Liuzzi was back in action for Force India again today and rounded out the top ten ahead of Kazuki Nakajima in the second Williams, Jarno Trulli in the leading Toyota and Fernando Alonso in the Renault. Nelson Piquet and Timo Glock brought up the rear of the field for Renault and Toyota respectively.

*Times courtesy of Circuit de Catalunya

Barcelona* - 26/02/2008
1 . L. Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 - 1:21.234 (+ 0.000 ) - 82 laps
2 . H. Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 - 1:21.434 (+ 0.200 ) - 71 laps
3 . K. Raikkonen - Ferrari F2008 - 1:21.722 (+ 0.488 ) - 72 laps
4 . N. Rosberg - Williams Toyota FW30 - 1:22.309 (+ 1.075 ) - 75 laps
5 . F. Massa - Ferrari F2008 - 1:22.513 (+ 1.279 ) - 102 laps
6 . G. Fisichella - Force India Ferrari VJM01 - 1:22.516 (+ 1.282 ) - 102 laps
7 . S. Vettel - Red Bull Renault RB4 - 1:22.558 (+ 1.324 ) - 110 laps
8 . R. Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.08 - 1:22.625 (+ 1.391 ) - 96 laps
9 . J. Button - Honda RA108 - 1:22.659 (+ 1.425 ) - 67 laps
10 . V. Liuzzi - Force India Ferrari VJM01 - 1:22.942 (+ 1.708 ) - 89 laps
11 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW30 - 1:22.977 (+ 1.743 ) - 100 laps
12 . J. Trulli - Toyota TF108 - 1:23.023 (+ 1.789 ) - 98 laps
13 . F. Alonso - Renault R28 - 1:23.112 (+ 1.878 ) - 79 laps
14 . R. Barrichello - Honda RA108 - 1:23.159 (+ 1.925 ) - 74 laps
15 . N. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.08 - 1:23.284 (+ 2.050 ) - 77 laps
16 . S. Bourdais - Toro Rosso Ferrari STR2B - 1:23.323 (+ 2.089 ) - 98 laps
17 . M. Webber - Red Bull Renault RB4 - 1:23.458 (+ 2.224 ) - 58 laps
18 . N. Piquet - Renault R28 - 1:23.467 (+ 2.233 ) - 45 laps
19 . T. Glock - Toyota TF108 - 1:23.561 (+ 2.327 ) - 80 laps.

News Source: F1 : McLaren top the timesheets again - Catalunya - F1-Live.com

----------------------

Very impressed with Force India Ferrari VJM01. If they can continue to do what they are currently doing then they'll be the suprise team of the year.

US

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

You didnt have to bold the title Given how kimi is almost 0,5 slower its obvious they wernt doing high speed runs. Probably they are focussing on reliability as they said that is a problem for them, they know they got the pace, that isnt their problem.

I'm wondering what ferrari will come up with at melbourne, especially the ''revolutionary'' nose design rumor from a while back. Im wondering if they really will come up with something totally different.