If you’re the type that daydreams about being behind the wheel of a Formula One car, we may have found the place where you can fulfill your dreams without actually being inside a real F1 car.
That place is the I-Way World in Lyons, France, and it’s got just about everything a racing fanatic would want under one roof. Designed by renowned artist Cyrille Druant back in 2006, the I-Way World comes with a number of unique spaces including restaurants, shops, lounges, a spa, conference rooms, and even office spaces. And there’s also that little matter of those revolutionary 18 six-axis race simulators featuring a variety of racing series’ including Formula One, endurance racing, and rally/touring racing.
Getting behind the wheel of one may sound like a lot of fun, but it also comes with a price. One race behind a simulator costs $73. There’s also a 10-race package that goes for $770, which isn’t exactly peanuts for a lot of us. Those who go to I-Way World without the intention of trying out these simulators can also opt for a little recreational fun with shops that include Porsche Design, Tag Heuer, Sparco, and Equipaggiamenti.
Whatever your intention is, the I-Way World in Lyons has something enjoyable for you to do, making it one of those places that should be on the list of anyone who has plans of making a trip to France.
There is a new woman in the life of Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel. Her name is Randy Mandy and she is the newest machine in the driver’s life. There was Kate’s Dirty Sister and then Luscious Liz, but now, Randy Mandy is the new thing on Vettel’s Renault-powered Red Bull Formula One car.
One of Vettel’s superstitions is to christen each of his cars with a girl’s name. These names have to be in ascending alphabetical order. Reporters asked Vettel what the name of his new car would be in Istanbul and the driver replied with a smile, “Randy Mandy”.
"It’s difficult to say [how much difference it made]," Vettel said to ESPN. "I think it explains a lot and, on top of that we found, also other things that weren’t in proper shape anymore. It doesn’t mean that we come here and everything is solved, we still have to work hard and try our best to be at the front again."
Sadly, the first race for Randy Mandy didn’t go as planned. Halfway through the race, Vettel and teammate Mark Webber collided when Vettel attempted to overtake Webber for the lead as the pair headed for Turn 12.
After the race, analysis of the incident dominated Formula One headlines, but both drivers want to put the past behind them.
"The team had got us into a great position and it wasn’t good for them what happened - so I’m sorry for them that we lost the lead of the race," Vettel said.
One race doesn’t mean a whole lot though and it should be interesting to see how Vettel and Randy Mandy perform in Montreal, Canada.
"We have a great team and the spirit is very strong. I’m looking forward to Canada,” said Vettel to Sky Sports.
In Formula One, the safety car has always had a very important role and, since 1996, that role has been fulfilled by none other than Mercedes themselves. Not only has Mercedes provided the safety car, but the car has always been the latest AMG model. That being said, Mercedes TV has unveiled a new review video for their latest SLS AMG Safety Car.
The Official F1 Safety Car comes with the exact engine setup as the standard SLS AMG. It is powered by a 6.3-liter V8 engine located front-mid that will develop 571 hp and up to 650 Nm of torque. The engine will be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The only difference is that this Mercedes SLS AMG will be riding on track with some pretty powerful Formula One machines.
Volkswagen may want to delve into the world of Formula 1, but not necessarily behind the wheel or by having "our own team like Mercedes". Hans-Joachim Stuck, a former grand prix driver and now the motor sport representative for VW stated, "We are waiting for the FIA’s decision in respect of the use of a world engine for formula one. If there is (a world engine) we will discuss whether to build it for formula one".
Formula One’s current choice for the engine would be a 1.5L turbocharged four cylinder engine with a debut about 2013. They are also anticipating it to have KERS technology although that will be mandatory in 2011. The decision to go to a “world engine” concept exists for the sole purpose of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Follow the jump for the full story and press release.
One of Formula One’s new kids on the block has finally broken cover and if the car performs as well as it looks, then we’re bound to have a surprising 2010 Formula One season.
Despite having its online launch beset by, well, ‘technical problems’, Virgin still managed to pull the covers off of its inaugural Formula One ride, becoming the first of the four newbies to officially begin their 2010 campaign.
The VR-01 – as its being called – will make its initial run at Silverstone in the coming days with drivers Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock taking it for a spin. After that, the team heads over to Jerez to participate in the second winter test of the new season, giving all of its more established competitors a first look on how the VR-01 – and the whole Virgin team for that matter – tries to get its collective feet wet in time before the green lights turn on in Bahrain next month.
Apart from the aforementioned technical malfunctions, the launch of the VR-01 went by without a glitch. Nick Wirth, the car’s chief designer, was especially proud to see his new baby unveiled to the public for the first time. "Today is a very proud day for everyone involved with Virgin Racing, however on this occasion, where the car is the star, I want to pay tribute to all the amazing people at Wirth Research who deserve so much of the credit for the VR-01," he said.
"Putting together an F1 team, assembling an engineering group and designing a new car from scratch is an epic task in the timeframe we have been working to."
Cheers and applause nothwisthanding, Virgin F1 still has a lot of work to do in time for the season opener in a month’s time. But for now, they can revel in the fact that they’re one step closer to becoming a member of Formula One.
The Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One team is bringing back some big names for the 2010 season that, if nothing else, are sure to garner quite a bit of attention from F1 fans around the world. After unveiling the all new MGP W01 Formula 1 car in Valecia, Spain; seven time world champion Michael Schumacher and son of former driver Keke Rosberg, Nico who are currently testing the new race car took some time out to pose alongside the team principal Ross Brawn with the latest member of the Silver Arrow family wearing its silver and green livery before the car went back into the garage to prepare for the start of the test session.
The Former BMW driver Nico will be the first of the Mercedes GP Petronas drivers to try out the new car with Michael taking over shortly after. However the big news comes with the multi world champion Schumacher being reunited with his longtime comrade Brawn, who is fresh off of last year’s title winning season in his team Brawn GP’s rookie year, who has been working with Michael ever since his Benetton days all the way up through his retirement with Ferrari.
The second team to be reveal their 2010 Formula 1 race car is BMW-Sauber. Called the C29, it also needed to undergo a few changes in order to obey the new regulations. "The development of the BMW Sauber C29 has seen the team build on the experience gained last year and the improvement in performance over the final third of the season. However, the new regulations banning refueling during the race and stipulating a reduced width for the front tires have required significant changes to the car’s design."
The increased size of the fuel tank means the car has grown longer and because they are skinnier, the front tires will undertake a heavier load, requiring weight to be shifted further towards the rear of the car.
Another very distinctive feature of the C29 is an extremely long undercut at the transition from the chassis to the under body. These and other aerodynamic measures also help to ensure optimum airflow to the double diffuser at the rear while further changes were required to integrate the Ferrari engine and, in particular, the Ferrari quick shift seven speed gearbox.
Renault unveiled the new 2010 R30 on Sunday at the Valencia circuit in Spain. While missing an official sponsor (ING left the team) Renault has decided to come back to the black and yellow colors used by Renault in the 1980s.
It wasn’t that long ago when Renault was embroiled in the middle of a major controversy that resulted in a ton of bad press for the team and for Formula One, prompting the French to come oh-so close to leaving F1 for good. Eventually, Renault reversed course and decided to remain in F1 and over the weekend, they unveiled they Jordan-looking 2010 Renault R30 Formula One car.
The car has been decked in a new yellow and black paint scheme similar to the Jordan F1 cars that prowled Formula One almost a decade ago. Other than new color scheme and the shark fin engine cover that`s present in the R30 – similar to what McLaren and Sauber have in their 2010 cars – Renault’s 2010 F1 car didn`t veer too far away from its predecessor, the R29.
The McLaren F1 team unveiled their 2010 Formula One entry earlier today at their headquarters in Newbury, and almost as impressive as their new machine is the all English driver lineup with returning champion Lewis Hamilton and last year’s break out sensation Jensen Button leading the charge.
In accordance with the new sporting regulations for the 2010 season, the car has undergone some considerable changes, even if it appears to be quite the same to the untrained eye. Dubbed the MP4-25, the new race car features a radical aerodynamic overhaul and a significantly larger fuel tank to allow the team to run longer between pit stops and the championship winning McLaren design team has declared they are confident that they have explored every possible avenue in order to maximize the MP4-25’s on track performance. Powered by a Mercedes-Benz FO 108X V8 engine, the same power plant that brought McLaren and Lewis Hamilton the world title in 2008, tipping the scales at just under 210 pounds, the slightly heavier MP4-25 will make its first on track appearance in Valencia, Spain on February 1 along with many of the other F1 competitors for some pre season testing.
Ferrari revealed today the first official images and specifications for the 2010 Formula 1 race car. The model will be called F10 and will weight less that 95 kg.
The F10 will use a 2398 cm3 eight-cylinder engine with electronic injection and ignition mated to a semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox.
Stay tuned for more details!
Technical Specifications and press release after the jump.
