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Mercedes W05 first pictures (07:30)
Red Bull reveals a good looking RB10 (07:45)
Force India shows their ‘bits’ on the VJM07 (08:00)
Lotus nose, clever or illegal? (08:00)
Ecclestone does not believe … (in Haas) (10:11)
Sky competition (13:00)
Caterham reveal that they too can design vomit (14:30)
Ferrari power (16:30)
Mercedes W05 first pictures
Red Bull reveals a good looking RB10
Force India shows their ‘bits’ on the VJM07
Lotus nose, clever or illegal?
When Lotus revealed the computer generated images of their 2014 contender, the E22, two questions came up. Why do they have a pitch-fork for a nose and why did they reveal it at the same time as McLaren revealed their car?
The later appears to have been done as an act of animosity between the teams if rumours can be believed. Both fighting for Sony as a sponsor and a possibility of Team Principal poaching.
Just after Lotus launched their car last Friday the FIA started receiving questions about the legality of the car. As we all know the need for getting clean air under the car and channeled towards the diffuser has led to the ‘high-nose’ cars of the last couple of years. With the design Lotus have there is almost nothing on the nose that blocks air to the bottom and rear of the car.
When Toro Rosso’s James Key was asked if anything else he has seen so far raises alarm bells when it comes to legality he replied “Apart from the Lotus nose, no“. He continues, ““The Lotus nose needs a bit of clarification. It’s a very clever idea. I don’t think it’s illegal, it just whether it’s in the spirit of the regulations.”
Speaking to AMuS Pat Symonds agree, “All the teams are now looking in this direction,” he said.
He continues. “For testing, the nose is not the decisive detail. Everyone just wants to get going and then explore the aerodynamic limits later on.”
Brawn anyone?
Could Lotus have gotten it right but just shot themselves in the foot with their early ‘revelation’?
Ecclestone does not believe … (in Haas)
Since it has been announced that there is an application for a Formula 1 team from the US TJ13 has express doubts in the viability of this. It is well known that being located in or near the UK’s motorsport valley is beneficial, especially for a start-up.
Mr Ecclestone has now come out in support of TJ13 (weather that is a good thing …). Speaking during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Gene Haas said Mr E has expressed his doubts saying “He [Ecclestone] said he didn’t think we would qualify“.
He continues’ “That’s a little bit of a letdown. I respect the man, and it’s a very difficult sport, the highest echelon of racing in the world. They want teams that compete and stay for 10 years.
“I don’t know. If Mr. Ecclestone is saying we don’t have a chance of getting a license, it would be foolish to continue. I’m not sure where that is now. I’m not sure what he’s trying to tell us. Maybe that it’s a very difficult sport. We’ve submitted information. Maybe we don’t have what they want.”
Haas is now learning the hard way how Mr E works however when he sets out his ‘vision’ one has to wonder if Haas has been following Formula 1 for the last 4 years. He articulates his vision as an American-based paradigm that would focus on using software and technology to create cost efficiencies in a series notorious for exorbitant budgets (sounds familiar anyone?).
Haas thinks he can be more competitive by doing it the NASCAR way and spending less money than the big teams. “The big teams spend $200-300m but have 10 engineers working on one fitting. I don’t think we’d approach it that way. But I can be naïve, too“.
“I think if we apply NASCAR techniques, we could bring some of those costs down and maybe accomplish what Formula One really wants: A little more sanity on the cost side and still have good racing. … I just think we as Americans have the ability to take complex machines and figure out how to make them go fast without all the complexity. I could be wrong, but I have that gut feeling.”
If Mr E is serious about cracking the American market is it not important to get a American team or perhaps is it better not to have one and have it fail?
In the words of Haas, Formula 1 is “filled with peril, and there (are) a million ways to fail. For all those reasons, (it) is why you do it – to see if it’s something you can do“. Mr Haas, show us the way please.
Sky Competition
To celebrate the release of Rush on Sky Store this Monday (January 27th), Sky Store is running a competition to win a VIP trip to the British Grand Prix, plus various runner-up prizes.
Anybody who rents Rush from Sky Store from the 27th of January until the 23rd of February will be automatically entered into the competition.
Caterham reveal that they too can design vomit
Tony Fernandes Tweeted
Back to basics. No fancy launch. Launched on my Twitter.
— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) January 28, 2014
And why I hear you ask, would Mr T not bother with any fancy expensive launch? Well I guess the answer is, would you?
A notable mention to our Usher (@thejudge13twts); trying to tell us last week what you should be reaching for the vomit buckets for…
Ferrari POWAH!
Internet here in Jerez is terrible (non existent) but that doesn’t stop TJ13 striving to get you some video from Jerez.
You know what they say – a good looking car is a fast car and that Merc looks the pick of the bunch to my eyes 🙂
so much for the RB bollock nose. They just let their shlong hang out like most other teams. God, what an ugly bastard. At least they have the decency to cover it up with black paint. As Kimi would say: olen hullu itävaltalainen.The Merc looks acceptable. That’s ONE car so far.
I agree, Merc is the only decent looking car. Interesting though that only them and Ferrari opted for a look that doesn’t have an appendix hanging there.
Anyone hear Vettels opinion on the cars new noses yet? I’d ask about Daniels opinion too, but I don’t know if he’d have one… those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones and all that.
I feel guilty for posting that now, I love Dan and can’t wait to see him in an RB this year. Please read it as a friendly joke, rather that a harsh personal critique!
Have a great season everyone!
Per Sempre Forza Ferrari!
Fuck! The FI is downright ridiculous. Are they competing, who can torment us the most? I’ve had it, I give up. I can’t take this visual diarrhea anymore.
Could not agree with you more Danilo!
http://www.superbwallpapers.com/meme/i-dont-want-to-live-on-this-planet-anymore-11372/
I cannot believe how hideous that FI is. I keep looking at it and I’m like…wha…wha…what? Why?
The Force India and the Toro Rosso – how can that be right? The noses on them are just plain wrong…
The Red Bull ‘bollock’ – in the pictures at least – doesn’t look that bad.
Judging by how far out these ‘bits’ protrude, I reckon there’s going to be a lot of, erm “inappropriate contact”, out on the tracks. Especially on race starts
i´m not sure if they are allowed to show F1 this year in Germany? It´s forbidden to show an even half-erected penis in TV 😉
Well done Force India for making the other cars look almost elegant.
Spoke too soon, Caterham have unvelied what looks like a 1980’s vacuum cleaner with a sex shop attachment.
That Mercedes sure is a good looking race car………it just looks quick, let’s hope the engine flatters the chassis.
Even a hawk is an eagle amongst crows!
After all the grief that Lotus have gone through (Quantum farce; Kimi leaving over payment; 1/2 the workforce running for the door & lack of funding) I’m hoping the tuning fork nose works for them!! I was shocked that they let Bouillier leave; especially if the rumors that McLaren are to sign him.. I thought Ross Brawn would go there to team up with Honda in ’15??
I’m loving (& laughing) as each team unveils their car ‘noses’… Which one will work best & how quickly will all the other teams dump theirs & adopt the best performing?? 😉 It’s nice to have a lil diversity…… Although Red Bull with their modesty panel (petticoat) are obviously the one to watch with Neweys design.
Roll on the Bahrain test when ALL the cars will be present! 🙂
Wouldn’t want be in the car that receives a whack from the Lotus nose up the backside. So far Ferrari and Force India have stopped on track.
Gives a new meaning to being “forked” 😛
God forbid if we have any ‘spinners’ resulting in head on collisions… The images may need to be heavily censored.. :O Boarder line pornographic!! ;D
That doesn’t sound to bad 🙂
You’re right Enzo.
It sounds terrible!
It could be any car, any formula. Its defo not an F1 sound.
I reckon track side attendance at races will be a less visceral experience this year. And that’s just sad.
A road car can sound like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6SySdNaCys&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Or listen to a zonda, f12, carrera GT…..the list goes on.
Even this is a 4 cylendar and sounds better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CspcnZ1IBs8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Shades of the Ford RS200 about it.
🙁 I already downgraded my expectations to “in the land of the blind, one eye is King”, now I’m at “She better be fast!”
Top man Enzo!
My problem is expectation management, or the lack thereof.
I want everything to sound like a 412T. Even my road cars! 😉
HAHA Jeremy Clarkson said the Lexus was best car he’d ever driven at that point!!!
K, I said it once, and I’ll say it again. If you want to boost American audiences, get a team and put Danica Patrick on it. Who happens to race for Haas/Stewart in NASCAR currently. Just sayin’ it. 😉
Aside from that, clearly some kind of dance going on right now, think Bernie might be trying to sell Haas into buying a current team, as Haas clearly states that would be a more “expensive” option. I think he really means that currently the team is insisting on conditions he doesn’t wish to have before buying into it, and Bernie is telling him to take it or leave it.
We’ll see…
The Caterham nose! I dont even…..
Mama mia!
Please someone send an ambulance to Danilo’s house, there’s only so much a man can take!
I’m already beyond caring. I won’t watch F1 this year, which is why I have demoted myself from contributor to occasional reader here. I’ll take my interest to WEC and DTM. F1 has gone too far and I’ve walked out.
Hippo’s are known for wallowing… But not in self pity…
There are two options. You either accept being trolled with these cruel jojes and the freak show will only get worse. Or you turn to other sports that don’t make cars that end up on the sex offenders regsitry. The FI, Toro Rosso and especially the Caterham. Nope, I’m not going to accept that.
I might consider returning if the Merc design prevails, but as long as FI, TR and CT are allowed to run these mosntrosities, I’m not going to bother anymore. It’s not like fan opinion makes any lick of a difference anyway. They just shove shit like double points and ghastly cars down our throats and if one decides he’s had enough of being force-fed excrement, I think there are other words for it than ‘self pity’.
Come on man, get yourself together.
You need to focus that rage into your (rather excellent) writing.
Don’t deny us our F1 hippo. Or Fippo, as I’ve come to christen you’re alter ego.
What is there to ‘get together’? Even the people who built that shit bitch and moan about them. Newey describes them as death traps, the Caterham dude, whose spelling I can’t remember even if my life depended on it, likened the cars to a horror movie and Franz Tost of TR says he was shocked when he first saw it. So even the ‘mothers’ can’t love these bastard children, because they look like they accidentally raised the fucking afterbirth. I may be alone, but someone has to start. I’m not going to watch a bloody freak show. If some of them reconsider and bring cars that actually deserve the name for the Bahrain test, I may reconsider, but for the time being, I’m done with this lot.
LIVE text commentary from Jerez
and pics of the Caterham & other cars
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/25897264
As has been said before, at least the cars look different. (Well, let’s face it, they are so fucking ugly we have to clutch at any straw available to be optimistic.)
So, how long do you think it will be until they all look the same? Australia? Monaco? Britain?
Place your bets….]
What is all this whining about?
For the first time in a very long time we have cars that actually look different. For years the’ve looked like the same car with smal modifications per team.
Allow 6 wheels again! Allow two storeys! Double engines! A rotor on the top!
I’m all for different-looking cars, but they are hideous, HIDEOUS I tell ya!
Scrap 2014, quick , change the regs, do something, this is horrendous!
Honestly, did Caterham really have to do that?
Small wonder Fernandez is almost fed up with F1.
+1. (Million that is… )
That Caterham manages to combine a step and a kn0b.
What’s the NASCAR saying: win on Sunday, sell on Monday???
Re: Fernandez and his F1 team, I saw that green nose, and I realized why he threatened to leave F1…
The Mercedes is a good-looking car, a beauty compared to the rest.
* * *
If Haas believes there’s a “NASCAR way” or an American way, we will go ahead with it and fail. I’ve seen American companies after American companies trying to succeed in Latinamerica ignoring the environment because they have a “better” way of doing things. It was my job for several years to guide these people into Latinamerican markets, 7 out of 10 times they don’t want to listen and fail. Just change Latinamerica for Europe and the result will be the same.
* * *
I was wrong yesterday, terribly wrong, when I decided to express that the Toro Rosso was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in autoracing, I should had known better and waited until today. I’ve no words for that green abomination Caterham produced. I have no words to express what I think of FIA. If Bernie only cares about attracting hordes of idiots to the sport to take their money and the french dwarf -or his wife, whoever runs FIA- doesn’t have the balls to do his job then I might consider not watching F1 anymore.
coñó!!! que bruto!! un desastre!
Funny how the three best looking 2014 F1 cars come from the three top teams (Merc, RBR and Ferrari) and to a less extent Macca (though I haven’t taken to the Lotus design yet)…
Why do crappy teams like Caterham (and the midfield) simply produce horrendous looking noses rather than try to come up w/ at least modestly-pleasing (aesthetically) designs? Is it b/c Ferrari, for example, earns so much revenue from merchandising that they know that can’t produce a visually shit F1 car b/c it will dull the halo-effect?
I can’t believe for a second I gave any credence to Bernie’s whining about the “sound” of the new engines! The cacophony of mechanical sounds + the whooshing and hissing of the turbos is going to make for a truly awesome formation lap and launch build-up in Melbourne and charge to the first corner after the green flag!! I can’t wait!
Did anyone else think the exhaust note was actually a bit throaty, and lacked the painful piercing scream of the V8, but in a good way?
Not me buddy. I think they sound cat…..
http://m.skysports.com/article/formula1//9140297
Another driver sounding ‘not so happy’ about the new engine sound. Considering he says he is excited, he certainly doesn’t look it.