Posted by ashleigh on
March 24, 2007
Customer cars under fire
Spyker GP have launched arbitration proceedings against the two ‘customer’ chassis teams.
The Dutch (English) team have said that they believe that the Super Aguri SA07 is a clone of the Honda RA106 (from last year). They have also said that the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR2 is a repackaged version of the Red Bull RB3 designed by Adrian Newey.
They say that because of this both teams are in violation of the 2007 sporting regulations.
This is not the first time that Spyker have complained about the two teams. They complained to the stewards at the Australian GP after qualifying, the stewards however threw the complaint out on procedural grounds.
The case will now go to the Swiss court that judges Concorde Agreement cases. Both of the teams involved say that they comply to the Concorde Agreement, as they own the intellectual property for the chassis they are using.
If Spyker actually get this through, the probable outcome would be that the teams would not be eligible for constructor points, this would not affect the drivers points however.
Posted by ashleigh on
March 4, 2007
Super Aguri Delay Launch
So the Tokyo Launch on the 12 is off. Why may we ask? Is it because Williams and Spyker (to name a few) are hoping to take the team to task if they believe the car is not Super Aguri’s own design (we already know it’s based at least on the 2006 Honda). Perhaps Super Aguri are hoping that if they launch the car at Albert Park on the GP weekend then the teams that will protest will have no time to do so.
If I were Super Aguri I would be less worried about my car, as they are not really a challenge (although I would love to see them perform, certainly Anthony Davidson). I believe all the teams will be complaining more about the Toro Rosso car that is not last years Red Bull, but is rather this years Red Bull with a different engine.
With only this year left of the rules that block chassis and major component sharing, I believe the teams should just buckle down and be done with it, after all it’s not the first time in F1 that teams have shared chassis.
Posted by ashleigh on
February 17, 2007
Winter Testing Roundup
It's been a while since I posted, Apologies, it won't happen again, I promise.
The winter testing seems to have been a little split. Some teams have shown promise, and some teams that should have shown promise have not.
The fast teams seem to be McLaren and Ferrari. Both have set good times consistently over the winter testing season.
Then there are two shock surprises. Williams seem to have got their head around the Toyota engine, and at the moment seem to be the number 3 team. So that means that Renault are not number one, two or three. No it seems they are struggling to find the pace in the R27. We know the engine is good, as it is essentially the same one they used last year successfully. The team say that they are working on reliability, however they are not really introducing any new technologies (besides perhaps a step on the 'seamless shift' gearbox). If they are 'hiding' pace however it would not be the first time.
Posted by ashleigh on
October 7, 2006
Bridgestone quick at home
It seems that the Bridgestone tyres where certainly the rubber to have in Japan today.
The qualifying session ended with the first four spots on the grid for tomorrows race are held by the Japanese tyre giant.
This is certainly bad news for the Renault's and Alonso in particular. However the Ferrari's where pushed hard during the third session by one of the other home teams Toyota. This caused both of the Ferrari cars going out to set the fastest times at the end of the session, this however worked against Michael as Fillipe managed to pip the German to the pole position.
The Renault team are the fastest of the Michelin tyre runners starting from fifth and sixth on the grid behind the two Toyota's and the two Ferrari cars.
The shock of the session was the lack in pace from the McLaren cars, both of the cars did not make it through to 3rd qualifying.
Posted by ashleigh on
September 30, 2006
Rain Soaked China makes it difficult
Michael Schumacher struggled on the Bridgestone tyres in qualifying in a rain soaked session.
The Michelin tyres again proved that they are the better option for when it's even damp, let alone wet.
Fernando Alonso showed again that the differing conditions do not throw him, and perhaps more importantly, Renault showed that they 
where back on the pace, Dominating all of the sessions so far in China.
The front of the grid has the two Renault's followed by the two Honda's of Barichello and Button who are running different liveries for the Chinese event.
The other supprise was Kimi being outdone by his team mate Pedro de la Rossa, who was definetly the quicker of the McLaren cars in the session.
The outcome of the GP will, I believe be down to the weather in the race tomorow. If it is dry then the Michelin teams may not have the advantage they did today, but if it is wet or damp, then Michael will struggle to keep up with the Renault's.
