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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.
Welcome to Episode 69 of Inside lane’s podcast. As “silly season” gets underway in Formula One, the boys discuss the latest in driver reshuffles amongst the teams. Also up for discussion is Tesla’s launch of the Model S in the UK and the Lotus Elise S CUP R. Rally corner has all of the latest from the world of WRC.
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Heikki Kovalainen is a very good driver when it comes to Formula One and one of the nicer chaps around the paddock. Unfortunately last year he became a victim of “paid drivers.” Some teams have a financial shortfalls that has to be bridged in some shape or form, be it new sponsorship or someone wealthy enough to buy their way into Formula One. Heikki has been Caterham’s reserve driver this year, but he is soon to be back in the drivers seat with Lotus.
Taking over from Kimi Raikkonen, who is to miss the final two Grand Prix due to an operation on his back, Kovalainen will be driving the black and gold car for the races in America and Brazil. It is reported that Nico Hulkenberg turned down the opportunity, potentially due to contractual ties with his current team. Michael Schumacher was also approached by Lotus for a return to the sport after his second retirement but his manager said “Michael would still be fit enough but he has a new life.”
Clearly this is great news for Heikki that may even lead to a drive for the 2014 season.
The McLaren F1 was a car of biblical proportions. Years ahead of its time pioneering the application of cutting edge Formula One technology in a road car, it will forever be a four wheeled legend. We have had to wait a very long time for a succour to the F1, but the P1 has proven to be worth the wait. That said, if you wanted one you are too late!
The McLaren P1 is now sold out with all 375 cars that are set to be produced having owners. There are even back-up buyers incase someone changes their mind! Equipped with KERS, DRS and a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8, this 903BHP modern-day marvel will sprint from 0-62MPH in just 2.8 seconds. (Click here for full McLaren P1 specifications.) Apparently 75% of P1 customers have ordered specific customisations on their cars from McLaren Special Operations. It has also bee confirmed that the McLaren P1 has lapped the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes.
The legendary British team McLaren are currently experiencing their worst season since 1980. Their car, the MP4-28 has proven to be nowhere near as competitive as its predecessor which was a machine that challenged for the championship. Sergio Perez was signed for the 2013 season to replace Lewis Hamilton but has struggled to meet the objectives the team have set him and has been unable to match his teammate. It has been speculated for days, but now it is official. Sergio Perez is to leave McLaren.
Via Twitter Perez announced his departure from the top team after only a year. “I have always given the best of me for the team and still despite this I could not achieve what I aimed for in this historical team.” He goes on to assure his fans that he will do his best in the remaining two races of the 2013 season. Earlier in the week Perez criticised McLaren for the way they have operated this year. “If I’m here next year there should be more organisation and many more times humility when facing reality.”
McLaren have announced officially that Perez is to be replaced by Kevin Magnussen, a talented 21 year old who has just won the Renault 3.5 championship and is also part of McLaren’s young driver program. He will partner Jenson Button for the 2014 season. Magnussen has already proven to be faster than Sergio Perez in the British teams simulator and is described by team principle, Martin Whitmarsh, as being “lightning quick.”
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.
Formula One is an extremely cut-throat business. Raw talent alone does not guarantee you a seat as many drivers are finding it hard to come up with the finical contribution that some require. Sergio Perez was signed by McLaren for the 2013 season after star driver Lewis Hamilton left for Mercedes. Though Perez proved in 2012 with Sauber that he is quick, it was still a risk for McLaren to take on a relatively inexperienced driver. After an uninspiring first season with the legendary British team, he may not be signed for a second year.
Kevin Magnussen has impressed team principle Martin Whitmarsh in previous tests with remarks of the Dane being “lightning quick.” He has just won the Formula Renault 3.5 series and also set faster lap times than Perez in McLaren’s simulator. The 21 year-old would be another risk for McLaren due to his lack of experience, but his pure pace could lead to Sergio Perez desperately looking for a drive in 2014. Though the MP4-28 has not been anywhere near as successful as its predecessor, Jenson Button has out qualified his team mate 9 times so far in 2013 with the same car.
The brave men and women who strap themselves into some of the fastest land based machinery on Earth are of a special breed. They are highly focused individuals with fitness levels to rival Olympic athletes. Their talent is placed upon the world stage for our entertainment, and let us not forget, “motor sport is dangerous.” It is a hard old struggle in the world of Formula One but making it into a top team and becoming world champion is the dream that drives them all. Kimi Raikkonen is a man who has succeeded in his aspirations, but as he continues his career with Lotus he has become a victim of the F1 business model.
The 2007 Formula One World Champion has not been paid since this season began. His team, Lotus, currently has a cash-flow problem and until a new sponsor is signed that looks to continue. The black and gold liveried car has proven to be competitive this season but after months of patients he has understandably had enough. He says he has “not been paid a single Euro all year.” Raikkonen has signed for Ferrari next season, no doubt the switch was influenced by this. The Finn is owed his salary of £6.7m plus a £42,000 bonus for every point scored. The total comes to £14.5m.
It is pretty damning that a driver of his caliber is not being paid and it has cost Lotus their star for next season. Kimi has threatened not to attend the last races of the season if the situation is not rectified.
This series of “greatest cars of all-time” has taken us on a journey through some of the biggest icons the automotive world has ever produced. Each machine a fine specimen of four wheeled engineering that is great in every sense of the word. Today our countdown comes to close as we revel what we think is the greatest car of all-time…
This is a true example of pedigree in both road and racing. It is a testament to science and engineering. Its very existence was determined by the latest technologies the world had to offer. It is the McLaren F1.
The McLaren F1 is one of the finest examples of human design on the planet. Formula One design legend Gordon Murry created a concept car that pulled together all of McLaren’s Formula One knowledge in aerodynamics and race car packaging to produce a machine so inspiring that it just had to make production. In 1992 the motoring landscape changed forever.
Powered by a 6.1 litre V12 engine producing 627HP, the F1 remained purposely naturally aspirated in order for the driver to maintain maximum control over the engine. This engine came from BMW, though originally Murry wanted it to be from Honda and based upon an F1 unit. When Honda refused the BMW option was taken. The chassis is a carbon fibre reinforced monocoque, very similar to that of a racing car. Its brakes were made by Brembo and were unassisted and along with a manual transmission it meant that if you wanted the F1 to perform at its best you needed to be a good driver (something that is missing from modern supercars.) A unique feature of the F1 is its three abreast seating allowing for the driver to sit centrally much like in a single seater.
The McLaren F1 became the worlds fastest car, a record it held for over a decade. With a 243MPH top speed and a 0-62MPH time of just 3.2 seconds, this car was lightyears ahead of its time. Active aerodynamics, a gold lined engine bay and advanced crash structures all factored into the building of this astonishing car. It corners like a race car and cruses like a GT, this British icon was a hero for children and adults alike certainly finding its way onto many bedroom walls. It even won Le Man!
The F1 is still regarded as one of the best supercars even today 21 years on from its inception. Truly the greatest car of all-time.
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