For 2014 the world of Formula One is being turned on its head with the biggest changes to the sport in living memory. New aerodynamic rules, the introduction of ERS, the standardisation of exhaust exists meaning no team can take advantaged of the hot gases influencing various parts of the car, and the list goes on… One of the less technical changes involves the drivers numbers that they were, up until now, assigned at the beginning of the season.
Driver numbers for 2014 have been selected by the drivers themselves as they are now to keep them for their career. Drivers who finished higher in the rankings in the 2013 season took priority in picking a number from 2-99. Car number 1 is given to the world champion, in this case Sebastian Vettel. Jenson Button has chosen 22 as that was the number on his car when he won the 2009 drivers world title. Fernando Alonso has chose 14 because his kart as a teenager sported the same numbers.
1* Sebastian Vettel
3 Daniel Ricciardo
44 Lewis Hamilton
6 Nico Rosberg
14 Fernando Alonso
7 Kimi Raikkonen
8 Romain Grosjean
13 Pastor Maldonado
22 Jenson Button
20 Kevin Magnussen
27 Nico Hulkenberg
11 Sergio Perez
99 Adrian Sutil
21 Esteban Gutierrez
25 Jean-Eric Vergne
26 Daniil Kvyat
19 Felipe Massa
77 Valtteri Bottas
17 Jules Bianchi
? Max Chilton
Caterham have yet to announce their drivers for 2014.
It is not all that far away now… The beginning of the 2014 Formula One season is just around the corner and as teams prepare to unveil and then test their new cars, we shall see for the first time what the dramatic rule changes have given us. These changes in regulations are the biggest for the sport in living memory and their introduction will no doubt be a game changer. So how will a 2014 F1 car look?
Starting beneath its carbon fibre skin, these 2014 cars will now be powered by a turbocharged 1.6 litre V6 engine, as opposed to the naturally aspirated V8s we are used to. Despite the smaller engine, the cars will produce roughly the same power as in 2013 but the addition of a turbo should make them harder to drive under pressure. However, they will only rev to 15,000rpm. KERS becomes ERS as this Energy Recovery System can harvest energy from multiple locations in the car such as waste heat from the turbo, not just through the brakes. ERS for 2014 can give the 2014 F1 car an additional 161BHP. A specified location for the exhaust exit will mean that teams can no longer take advantage of blowing the hot gases onto aerodynamic components. Their noses will also be considerably lower, much like the cars of 2009 in order to improve safety. In addition the front wing will become narrower than the width of the car. At the back, the top movable plain for the rear wing used when DRS is active will become shallower.
The video below should give you quite a good idea of what to expect to see on the grid in Australia for the season opener.
There have been rumblings for a while now that Ferrari may well be preparing for a LeMans comeback. Strange prototype LaFerrari’s have been spotted out on the road with what sounds like turbocharged engines and with Luca di Montezemolo displaying a clear interest in endurance racing, fuel has been added to the fire. Today some intriguing spy shots may have given us the final pieces of the puzzle, or have they started a new one entirely?
Italian website Auto Sprint published a picture of what appears to be a disguised racing spec LaFerrari. Now this could well be a LeMans racer, be we think that if Ferrari were to return to the sport they would do so in top class LMP1 cars. We think that this car is in fact the successor to the Ferrari FXX. The XX program allows wealthy individuals to become part of the Scuderia’s testing team by racing their track only extreme prancing horse whilst the boys in red collect data. The FXX was based upon the Ferrari Enzo but that machine is a bit outdated, I can’t believe I just said that, and no longer king of the hill. This LaFerrari based car (LaFerrari XX?) is clearly not for road use. I guess we shall have to wait and see what Ferrari have for us at Geneva.
Michael Schumacher is one of the most talented men behind the wheel of a car. The seven times world champion is the most successful driver Formula One has ever seen and his sheer determination to win could be seen in every corner. After retiring from the sport for a second time in 2012, Schumacher was reportedly approached by Lotus for a 2014 seat, however his manager said when questioned on the subject “he has a new life now.” Whilst spending time with his family in France on Sunday, Michael had an accident that has left him fighting for his life.
Whilst Skiing the German fell and hit his head on a rock. Schumacher was wearing a helmet but the force of the impact has led to some swelling of the brain. Surgery has been undertaken but his condition is still very critical. Currently he is in a coma with his state being monitored around the clock. Doctors this morning gave the media an update but still say we must take things “hour by hour.”
If anyone can fight through something like this it is Michael Schumacher! All at Inside Lane wish you a speedy recovery.
He is making a list and checking it twice. He’s going to find out who’s been naughty or nice. Well, this year I think my name is on Father Christmas’ nice list and for being such a good boy I am going to ask for something a bit special. After thinking long and hard about what I would like the keys to, I came to the conservative conclusion of a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. I say conservative as other cars that came to mind were the likes of McLaren’s P1 and the Porsche 918. Considering those two cost the thick end of £1,000,000 Santa can save a few pennies with my £240,000 gift.
If you think about it, the Ferrari is also a gift that offers value for money. 12 cylinders in comparison to the McLaren’s 8. It’s bigger than a Porsche 918 and more practical. All-in-all I think I’ve justified the F12 to the jolly fat guy, my only other real predicament is what colour to buy it in. I have seen the car in a rather devilish metallic grey, but then it also looks good in black. However, I think much like every first time Ferrari owner I shall ask for my prancing horse in red.
Personally, I think that after Santa’s little Italian elves have put my toy together and the big man has seen it, he will probably put his reindeer on notice. 730BHP VS nine mammals that are likely to take your eye out with their antlers? No contest.
Niki Lauda is a living legend. The calculative racing driver won three Formula One world championships through decades where the sport would often see the loss of two drivers a season. Lauda’s horrific crash in 1976 saw him almost die, yet he returned to fight for the title just six weeks later showing the most incredible determination. A special Ferrari has been created to honour him.
Commissions by its owner through the Ferrari Taylor Made program, this is the Ferrari 458 Niki Lauda Edition. The 458’s paintwork mimics that of his 1970’s Ferrari Formula One cars with white detailing and gold alloy wheels. A stripe sporting the colours of the Italian flag runs over the roof and through the interior of the car. Powered by the Italia’s standard 4.5 litre V8, this car numbers just one of one.
You may have seen that mad video where a group of YouTube folk take it off-road? It made for a insane yet intoxicating video and has racked up many views on the popular site. That group, Tax the Rich, have made a habit of taking some of the worlds most iconic cars and just going bonkers with them. Be it power sliding a Roll-Royce Phantom across a muddy field or tug-of-war with a pair of Ferrari F50′s they are game for just about anything. Now they have got hold of the biblical Ferrari 288 GTO and tried their hand at a spot of Group B rallying!
Ferrari’s racing programs are what makes the company what it is. From Formula One, GT2 to GT3 each Italian stallion is a purebred descending from a long line of successful racing cars. Ferrari’s challenge series, a collection of races for affluent gentleman racers, has grown in popularity as customers desire to make their dreams of being a racing driver come true. The car for the 2014 season has been officially revealed.
The Ferrari 458 Challenge Evoluzione is, as its name suggests, an evolution of the 458 Challenge. This track only variant of the 458 Italia receives a large rear wing as part of a new aerodynamic package. Ferrari say that the changes are “aimed at making the car even more drivable for all Ferrari owners who want to tackle a true on-track competition.”
The package is offered to existing 458 Challenge owners as a kit and will be a requirement for all cars that enter the series for 2014.
There is no doubting that Felipe Massa is a talented guy behind the wheel of a Formula One car. Making his F1 debut with Sauber in 2002 the rookie made some mistakes but it was clear that he had what it takes to compete in the sport finishing 5th in the Spanish Grand Prix. A year out in 2003 was spent as a Ferrari test driver, something that would later get him a race seat for the prancing horse, before a two year stint back at Sauber. In 2006 he got his drive for the season with Ferrari and in 2008 came within one point of winning the world championship. However, the following season would see him have an accident that nearly cost him his life when a spring from another car hit Massa at high speed. Upon his return in 2010 the drivers form appeared lessened but Ferrari stood by him in the hope of a performance improvement. For 2014 the Italians have let Massa go in favour of Kimi Raikkonen.
So where is Felipe Massa going? That answer is Williams. The legendary British team that holds multiple world championships have been going through a tough time. 2013 sees the worst season in their history, but with the rules changing so drastically for 2014 they vow to recover. Claire Williams, Sir Frank’s daughter and the teams deputy team principle, has said “Williams is determined to come back and determined to fight for world championships again.” Signing Massa is a clear show of that intention.
Formula One star Kimi Raikkonen has been in the news a fair amount over the past few months. Aside from some inspiring performances in his Lotus throughout the 2013 season, it came to light that the Finn had not been paid a singe Euro all this year due to cash flow issues within the team. He quite fairly threatened to boycott the remaining races until he gets paid. Kimi will not be attending the final two races, but not because of his strained relationship with Lotus…
An old back injury has come to haunt Raikkonen, something that started earlier on in the season at the Singapore Grand Prix. His back over the past month has been particularly problematic and so he is to have surgery in Austria on Thursday. In order to recover he will not complete the 2013 F1 season. Lotus have yet to announce who will replace him for the races in America and Brazil. Kimi wanted to get this operation out of the way as soon as possible to allow him to be at optimum fitness ready for his return to Ferrari in 2014.