That Honda wing looks goofy and it appears it could hinder the driver's view.

 

Fixed

 

STR3 on track in Barcelona - Bourdais gives first public view of new challenger 16/04/08 11:52

The new STR3 package may not make its Grand Prix debut until Turkey, but this morning the Toro Rosso Ferrari team ran the new package for the first time in public.

Based on the Red Bull Technologies designed RB4 chassis, the STR3 has been adapted for the Ferrari V8 powerplant and gearbox.

Sebastien Bourdais is conducting today’s test for the team before handing over to team-mate Sebastian Vettel for the final day of running tomorrow.


Red Bull protégé Brendon Hartley, currently competing in the British F3 series, shook down the car at the Vairano circuit in Italy last month.

Earl ALEXANDER© CAPSIS International
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...16115232.shtml


Vettel tipped for RBR switch in 2009
By Steven English and Steve Cooper Wednesday, April 16th 2008, 10:03 GMT

Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso STR3, BarcelonaRed Bull protege Sebastian Vettel is likely to switch to the firm's A-team for next year after impressing the team's bosses in the first three races of this season.

The 20-year-old has yet to finish a race this year, but his pace so far has contributed to an increasing wave of approval from Red Bull's senior racing management.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko admitted that it's likely Vettel will switch from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing for the 2009 season.

"I think so, yes," he told this week's Autosport. "He's a special one and he is very developed for his age. He can be very aggressive in the car but he's also technical and well trained.

"Red Bull has been with him for eight years and we have a contract for another couple of years."

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost praised Vettel's ability and believes he has the potential to fight for victories next season.

"He is one of the best young drivers so far," Tost told Autosport. "He's been racing for 15 years so from the driving side he's very mature. But he's also really clever and I think this is a key to his success.

"Sebastian is on a much higher level than many other drivers *both in and out of the cockpit.

"He knows he can do the job if we provide him with the right car. He has already reached a very high level and it depends which car he will get for next season but he can become a front runner."

Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger believes the hype is justified and admitted that Vettel reminds him of Michael Schumacher.

"Michael saw him in karting and felt his potential, and that's been confirmed," Berger told Autosport. "In some ways they are similar, the calm, systematic approach, consistently improving throughout the weekend, and delivering at the end of the day.

"You don't feel the film is too quick for him. He remembers everything he does in the car and explains it to the engineers in a good way. I can be a bit critical of guys but I hardly find anything where he's missing, except experience.

"He keeps his feet on the ground and he's very confident but not arrogant. The team all like him, he's the hero. We're equal for both drivers but Sebastian has been in the team a bit longer and the guys all like him."

But Berger also admitted that, while Vettel has a Red Bull contract, he doesn't know which team the German will race for next season.

"For the next three years he has a contract with Red Bull, not Red Bull Racing," he added. "But I don't know where he'll be next year."

 

You didn't post the article where Bourdais wrecked the car before it was due to be unveiled.

 

You have the ball. Run with it.

 

Wow, STR3 wrecked?

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=34522

 

Apr.16 (GMM) Super Aguri confirmed on Wednesday that the previously agreed sale of the Japanese team to the investment company Magma Group has fallen through.

Earlier reports said the Leafield based team had received a letter from Magma, headed by Martin Leach, explaining that the expected backing - thought to originate from Dubai - had been held up.

It is believed that the news could affect the team's ability to race in Spain next weekend without the intervention of Honda or Bernie Ecclestone.

Super Aguri confirmed on Wednesday that Magma's unnamed investors "no longer wish to fund the intended acquisition".

"It is with deep regret that Aguri Suzuki is now forced to consider the future of the team, however negotiations with other parties continue," the statement also read.

A further statement is expected in due course.

 

^ Saw somewhere on the net that the SA transporters are in Barcelona but may not unload for the race. Such a shame...casualty #2 of the FIA's failure to work out an agreement for customer cars. Max Mosely should have been deposed for that failure alone. Next on the block Toro Rosso.

 

the sooner mosely is gone, the better

 

Any one else looking foward to the Night race in singapore, besides me

 

It should be interesting. A night race, on a road course, with cars that don't have lights.
I don't remember that being done.

 

yea it is going to be interesting.. go kimi!!!

 

yah it should be very interesting. i guess the whole track is going to be lit up. http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080419....-digital-flags

 

Do you think the race is more bearable at night for the drivers and the fans, temperature wise?

 

The night race is going to be awesome. Tell you the truth, I think it's a bit odd that they haven't tried it before now. I mean with the fact that they run during damn near monsoon rains sometimes, it would seem natural for them to run at night. I don't know if it will help the ratings though. Pretty much every F1 fan I know tapes it, provided they don't get up at freakin 2 a.m.....like I do and drive my wife crazy, hahahah. So I would imagine the night race may pick up a few "fair weather" fans...but us loyalist will be watching no matter what time it is.

 

Yeah, that's a good question moRotorMotor. I would think getting tire temps up may be a problem...and if a safety car comes out...well fugettaboutit...we'll see cars sliding all over the place. I'm sure the drives will still be burning up though.

 

You bring up a good point. Not Monsoon, but tropical rain storms happen in the afternoon. Moving it into the evening should lessen the chance of that happening.
BTW: I have seen them red flag a race several times because it was raining too hard. I think it has happened twice in Australia.

 

MotoGP ran their season opener under the lights this year and it seemed to go ok. On one hand, it was a bit difficult to follow on TV as the director avoided wide, sweeping shots. On the other hand, the onboard camera shots seem to catch much better images under the flood lights imo.

 

Most everywhere in the tropics, it does get a bit cooler in the evening however the humidity does go up, the vapor trail coming off all aero surfaces will be very evident on TV and in still shoots.

 

Oh I'm with you on that, I remember a race...OMG, it's been years ago, back when Prost was running....raining like hell and on the first lap at the first turn EVERYBODY piled up. Geeezzz I wish I could remember where that was....but the commentator was ragging on the back markers because they were going flat out straight into all the wrecked cars...it was crazy!!!

 

I've seen that on Champ cars before, during the day. But, I don't remember it showing up on TV.

 

Rumor
IndyCar/F1: Barrichello to AGR, Andretti to Formula One ?

Rubens Barrichello has received an offer to see out his long motor racing career in America, according to reports.

The German newspaper Bild claims the 35-year-old, who next month will set a new benchmark as the longest serving grand prix driver in history, has been asked to run with the Andretti-Green IndyCar team in 2009.



Barrichello's current contract with the F1 team Honda, owned by the Japanese marque that also equips Andretti-Green with engines, runs out at the end of 2008.

Bild raises the possibility of a seat 'swap'; Barrichello to IRL in exchange for Andretti-Green's Marco Andretti, the 21-year-old American son of former McLaren driver Michael Andretti, whose own father Mario won the world championship in 1978.

Reportedly, the American broadcaster Speed TV cited Barrichello as confirming the offer.

Marco Andretti has already collected about 900 kilometres of testing in a Honda F1 car.

 

LOl my wife gets mad at me also. because sunday we go grocery shopping at 9am. and since i am die hard F1 fan, i would stay up to 2-4am watching it. So end up not going to due to sleep reasons lol.

 

yah i was wondering also. I wonder how they are going to deal with cold tires etc. Should be very interesting to find out how they will deal with that. Lemans 24 hours deal with them pretty well when they swap out tires at night. Also dont they use heat tire covers which probably doesnt helpt alot. ). . but yah cant wait to see how the race goes, and what drivers thought of the tire situation.

 

New AT&T Williams website!

www.attwilliams.com