The king is dead long live the king… This is the phrase many Ferrari fans have chanted as LaFerrari takes over from the Enzo as the Italian brands flagship supercar. Whilst the Ferrari Enzo was very impressive back in 2002 with its 6.0 litre V12 engine producing an massive 650BHP, LaFerrari is very much an example of what the company can do with todays technologies. Costing £1,040,000 LaFerrari possesses 950BHP developed by a 6.3 litre V12 engine in tandem with a KERS styled electric motor. 0-62MPH is obliterated in just 3 seconds but even more incredibly LaFerrari will go from standing to 186MPH in just 15.5 seconds! Ferrari have just started handing over the keys to the 399 lucky owners, one of which has found a friend with an Enzo and has taken them both for a blast. LaFerrari VS Ferrari Enzo.
Whilst this isn’t a race a such between the two, it is clear to see that LaFerrari has much greater traction out of the corners. Enjoy the video. Volume up!
Audi have dominated the world of endurance racing for over a decade. The Germans have won the famous Le Mans 24 hour 12 times and it would have been 9 times in a row if it were not for pesky Peugeot in 2009. Audi want to retain their Le Mans crown but with strong competition from Toyota and now Porsche, their 2014 Audi R18 WEC has to be one of the most capable cars racing has ever seen.
Audi revealed to the world their new car in race trim complete with updated livery. However, they have decided to backtrack on a technology that regenerates energy lost through heat. The system, MGU-H, is just like that found on the 2014 specification Formula One cars, but the team will not use it as planned due to reliability issues. Instead they will stick with their tried and tested kinetic energy recovery system that can harvest 2 megajoules over a lap. Their competitors, and in particular Porsche, are expected to be recapturing 6 to 8MJ per lap. This potentially puts Audi at a disadvantage but they say that the increased reliability and fuel efficiency of their new turbocharged 4.0 litre V6 diesel engine will prevail.
The 2014 Audi R18 WEC reignited tradition as it was driven through the streets of Le Mans before being shown to the media.
Red Bull are the defending Formula One world champions and with the 2014 regulation changes proving difficult for them throughout testing and leading to Sebastian Vettel retiring from the Australian Grand Prix, their development curve for their 1.6 litre turbocharged RB10 will have to be quite steep. That said, they still had time to send their new driver Daniel Ricciardo on an assignment that saw him pit an RB9 Red Bull F1 racing car up against an F18 Hornet. The fighter jet belonging to the Royal Australian Air Force takes on one of the most dominant F1 machines in the sports history. Not exactly a bad day in the office for Daniel. Check out the video to see which of these two technological marvels wins this drag race. Also in the short film are some details on how the pilot and adrenaline junkie Ricciardo came to be in their fantastic careers.
Well, you guys and girls wanted drama, and you damn well got it! What an exciting race for the opening of the 2014 Formula One world championship. The reliability of these new 1.6 litre turbocharged engines was put to the test immediately as a second formation lap had to be done due to Max Chilton’s Marussia refusing to leave the grid. When the lights eventually went out it was Nico Rosberg who shot to the front of the pack into turn one ahead of team mate and race favourite Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s slow start would lead to a retirement a few laps later thanks to a misfiring cylinder. Ricciardo took 2nd. Kobiashi misjudged his breaking point and ended his comeback to F1 at turn 1 whilst collecting Massa’s Williams. That was a bitter blow for the Williams team as their remaining car driven by Bottas showed exceptional pace. As he hunted down cars ahead a podium was very much on the cards. That was until Bottas just kissed a barrier a tad too hard leading to a puncher. However, after a quick pit stop he rejoined and proved his cars worth, climbing back to 6th where he finished. Whilst all of this unfolded, defending world champion Sebastian Vettel dropped out of the race on lap 5 with engine problems. It was a strong showing from McLaren today with the young Kevin Magnussen showing his pace finishing 3rd with Button following in 4th. Whilst the number 1 Red Bull was being taken apart in the pit lane, Daniel in car number 3 did a stellar job and brought the RB10 home in 2nd with no major mechanical issues to report. A true show of how quick that car can be as well as how much work the team has put in to turn around a dismal testing season. Alonso finished 5th whilst Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen struggled with his F14 T only managing 8th. The Italian team say that they were managing an electrical issue on both cars throughout the race, but the fact of the matter is that Ferrari were not quick enough today.
7 cars retired due to mechanical failure just showing how tough these new regulations have been on the teams. Lotus, a top team last year, had a double DNF.
Rosberg and his Mercedes team finished a comfortable 1st reaffirming the silver cars dominance throughout testing.
Endurance racing is the ultimate test for any piece of engineering. Every component from things as big as a pistons to as small as a wheel nut has to function without failing under extreme load for prolonged periods. The Le Mans 24 Hour is arguable the worlds most famous race and this year Porsche return to an event they once dominated. Today it is Audi who rule the World Endurance Championship, but the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 hopes to upset that.
The Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 racer complies with the latest regulations that will see this class of car utilise their hybrid systems to a much higher level. The engine in the 919 is a direct injection 2.0 litre turbocharge V4 petrol engine. Revving to 9,000rpm one of the two cars will be piloted by ex-Red Bull Formula One pilot Mark Webber. The new Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 is rear driven by the combustion engine, but has temporary all wheel drive when the electric motor is activated to drive the front wheels.
That is it… The final day for Formula One testing before the 2014 season begins in less than two weeks has come to an end. It has been an eventful final week for the teams as they attempt to learn, understand and push their new cars to the limit. Well, I say eventful… Eventful if your team isn’t named Red Bull who over the past few weeks, let alone these final important days, have barley turned a wheel. Whilst the Mercedes-Benz engined teams are clocking up the millage and running full race simulations, Red Bull Racing are still suffering. The question is no longer “will Red Bull be dominant again this season?” More “will they even finish the first race.”
Whilst other Renault engined teams have been having a hard time of it, the tightly packaged RB10 has suffered issue after issue. With statements of “we have a lot of work to do tomorrow” soon being followed up by headlines reading “Red Bull leave testing early” to say the defending world champions are in trouble would be an understatement. Saturday marked the teams worst test day with Vettel only completing four corners before his car conked out. Although on Sunday he managed 77 laps, a brake failure brought an abrupt end to testing for a team who haven’t even managed to simulate a complete race distance without problems.
The dramatic rule changes of the 2014 season would, at this point at least, appear to have changed the pecking order. Mercedes-Benz are the clear favourites going into the first race in Australia with competitive lap times overall and the most millage under their belts. McLaren are looking strong as are Ferrari and the Williams team. With big guns such as Red Bull and Lotus potentially not making it to the end of their debut race, this is a prime opportunity for teams lower on the grid to grab some all-important points.
Whilst their chances of winning, or even finishing the first race of 2014, are slim don’t count Red Bull out for the duration of the season. As soon as their engine and packaging problems are fixed they will likely provide strong competition.
This week has seen the second batch of Formula One testing before the first race in Australia next month. Dramatic rule changes have introduced new 1.6 litre turbocharged engines as well as more powerful energy recovery systems. Whilst most teams who had some issue testing a few weeks ago managed to get those all important laps under their belt, world champions Red Bull are again struggling. This testing period is more important than ever as teams try to understand their new cars. Whilst Red Bull managed more laps than a few weeks ago, their car encountered problems every day this week which resulted in them packing up and going home early. The Red Bull F1 team are in real trouble.
This is extremely troubling for the team who have produce four championship winning cars in a row. The issues seem to stem from the tight aerodynamic packaging of the RB10 car that is leading to overheating problems. Also the new Renault engine is is suffering from a lack of power and is particularly susceptible to harsh vibrations. Both Red Bull and Renault are playing down just how bad the situation is but with the first race is just weeks away, and the team not even being able to complete race distance, they are at a huge disadvantage.
The 2014 season promised drama and that is exactly what we are getting.
The motorsport arena is the perfect place to display to the world that your new product has got what it takes to beat the very best. For car manufacturers it has been the battleground for road going nameplates for decades, but it is endurance racing that can often have the best yield in terms of publicity. Nürburgring 24 hour is a test of man and machine in an extreme environment. The new Subaru WRX STI takes to the grid for 2014.
The green hell will again host the 24 hour endurance event and Subaru for the 7th year running are to compete. What of the car that will take on the stress and strains in this biblical challenge of engineering and speed? The new Subaru WRX STI racer is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and sits within the SP3T class, of which the team has won twice before. This stocky yet beautifully functional car aims to not only see the chequered flag in the morning, but also win.
Red Bull are quite often behind some of the worlds biggest events caught on camera. Be it a skydive from space or their Formula One team potentially collecting a fourth world title in a row, they know how to create a spectacle. This time their tools for entertainment are an Ozzy V8 supercar and a stunt plane. Watch at these two drag race down a deserted beach. Well worth a watch! Good thing there were no mishaps, thought they go come close to one, as the Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercar race takes place soon.
It is the road car rivalry of the decade… Faster, more advanced and even more competitive. The planets have alined for us to bear witness to this titanic battle between two of the greatest cars ever made in the same year. The McLaren has placed its cards firmly on the table and to be honest, Ferrari are going to have their work cut out against their longterm Formula One foes.
McLaren’s P1 is powered by a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 903BHP. LaFerrari gets a 47BHP advantage from its 950BHP V12 engine. When it comes to weight the Ferrari scores well again being about 100KG lighter thanks to the way they have packaged their hybrid system. Although McLaren’s KERS may weigh more, it is expected to produce more torque that that of the prancing horse’s because of the way it is built into the engine and gearbox. McLaren announced their official performance figures for the P1 the other day whereas Ferrari have been purposefully vague in some areas. The 0-62MPH sprint for the Brit takes just 2.8 seconds, for the Italian it is a mysterious “less than 3 seconds.” The Ferrari does 0-124MPH in “less than 7 seconds” and the McLaren will do it officially in 6.8 seconds. The one figure Ferrari is blowing its trumpet about is LaFerrari’s 0-186MPH time of 15.5 seconds as it undercuts the P1 that does it in 16.5 seconds. Top speed according to the red car is “unimportant” and so will no be quoted, but McLaren have told us that their car will do an electronically limited top speed of 217MPH.
There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to LaFerrari, quite possibly to allow engineers some extra tinkering time before the outcome is set in stone. However, there is speculation that the McLaren P1 has completed a lap of the Nürburgring in a blistering 6 minutes 47 seconds, something that Ferrari will find tough to beat considering that the P1 produces the same level of downforce as a baby elephant being sat on its roof.
