F-1 Notes

Barrichello at KV Shop for Seat Fitting: After the news broke mid-day yesterday, the Twittersphere has been abuzz with talk of F-1 refugee Rubens Barrichello testing a KV Racing Technology IndyCar at Sebring this coming week. IndyCar drivers took to the social media site to voice their praise for the Brazilian and to encourage his endeavor into IndyCar. Even the great Mario Andretti tweeted at Barrichello, “good luck at Sebring test. Hope you’ll like it enough to join IndyCar. Tony Kanaan will be a great mate!” Barrichello joined in the fun early Thursday morning. Barrichello posted a picture of himself snugly tucked into the cockpit of a DW12 during a seat fitting. Since Brake Glow makes every effort to avoid copyright infringement in any form, the picture can be seen here. Barrichello is scheduled to turn his first laps in an IndyCar at Sebring on Monday.

Caterham Forced Into Early Unveiling: The Caterham F1 Team, formerly Lotus, was forced into an early unveiling of their 2012 challenger. Pictures of the aptly named CT01 emerged early Wednesday. The release to the media was initially scheduled for Thursday in an agreement with the UK-based, F-1 Magazine, but some readers received their copy of the periodical early on Wednesday. The early arrival to some fans led to pictures being lifted from the magazine and posted to the internet. Caterham relented and released a single picture for the media’s official use later in the day on Wednesday. Team Principal, Tony Fernandes, made the best out of the situation. “I am thrilled that we broke cover first and that the CT01 is the first example anyone has seen of a 2012 car,” he said. Fernandes said he expects more from the team in 2012 with points scoring being the main goal. The Malaysian pointed to the amount of development into this year’s car: “The detail right across the whole package is light years ahead of where we were when we first started out, and we are all excited about seeing what it can do when we get on track.” The public will see the CT01 on track for the first time in February as Formula One heads to Valencia for preseason testing. Photos of the CT01 are available through the team’s Flickr account here.

“Can’t Underestimate (Schumacher)” – Glock: Marussia driver, Timo Glock, recently came out to in defense of his fellow countryman, Michael Schumacher. Schumacher has brought mediocre results to his MercedesGP Team since his return to Formula One in 2010. But, Glock says, that does not mean he has lost his edge. In an interview with the German publication, Sky Sports News HD, Glock praised Schumacher’s tenacity and motivation. “He (Schumacher) is highly motivated and still someone who you always have to take into consideration,” Glock said. Glock finished his thought, “You can’t underestimate him in any way.” The 7-time World Champion and winner of 91 Grands Prix has yet to score a win, or even a podium, since his return two years ago. 2012 will be Schumacher’s third season with MercedesGP. His contract expires at the end of the 2012 season and his future plans remain unknown.

Wilson, Engineer Papas Return to Coyne

Justin Wilson will return with Dale Coyne Racing in 2012 (Photo: Zach Wenzel)

Dale Coyne Racing announced the return of their sole winner, Justin Wilson, to the Plainfield, Illinois-based team.

After a two-year hiatus from Coyne, Wilson reunites in 2012 to the team he brought their first win (Watkin’s Glen, 2009.) The duo also return in 2012 with Honda power, but the new DW12 is sure to provide some new challenges for the engineering team.

In addition to Wilson’s return, engineer Bill Papas also returns. Papas was with Wilson in 2009 for the team’s win.

Read the full media release below:

Dale Coyne Racing is proud to announce that they are “Putting the Band Back Together” with its 2009 winning combination of driver Justin Wilson and renowned engineer Bill Pappas, all powered by Honda.

After a two year absence, Wilson returns to Dale Coyne Racing after bringing the seasoned team its first win at Watkins Glen, NY back July of 2009.

“I am really excited as to how all of this has come together,” Wilson said. “Dale is committed to win, and it shows by him bringing back my 2009 engineer Bill Papas, the level playing field of a new car and the much appreciated continuation with Honda engines should make 2012 a very exciting year for all of us.”

Dale Coyne Racing will once again be powered by Honda in 2012. “Dale has shown us he is putting together a winning team,” commented Honda Performance Development President Erik Berkman. “The Honda family has a long history with DCR and we look forward to having them as a valued partner in 2012.”

Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Honda has supplied racing engines to the full, 33-car Indianapolis 500 field every year since 2006, and for a record-six consecutive years, the ‘500’ has not seen a single engine failure.

Wilson has shown his prowess over the years. Justin won two IZOD IndyCar races (Detroit in 2008 and again at Watkins Glen in 2009), as well as multiple wins in the former Champ Car Series. He is one of the top contenders to deal with in the pool of IndyCar driver talent.

“We are very excited about 2012 and the team we are assembling,” reflected team owner Dale Coyne. “As to this opportunity, racing is a combination of things, team, dedication, the right equipment, and engineering and of course the driver. This combination knows each other and this coupled with Honda and other improvements in our efforts for 2012 and beyond should make for a break out year for Dale Coyne Racing.”

Returning to DCR squad in 2012 will be the talented engineer Bill Papas. Papas joined DCR in 2009 for that season, which saw the team win Watkins Glen and nearly win at St. Petersburg and Mid-Ohio.

“I want to thank Dale for being able to put this combination back together,” said Pappas. “I think the world of Justin and his abilities and now we can seriously get after the challenge of winning more races.”

John Dick, who has a long respected history in the sport and most recently as engineer and technical director at KV Racing will also join Dale Coyne Racing in 2012.

Details of the team’s second entry and sponsorships will be coming out sometime in February.

Barrichello to IndyCar?

Recent WilliamsF1 refugee, Rubens Barrichello, will get his first sampling of an IndyCar later this month.

Speed.com unveiled the news that Brazilian Barrichello is set to test one of KV Racing Technology’s IndyCars next week in Sebring, Florida. The test will collude with one already scheduled for KV driver, and fellow Brazilian, Tony Kanaan.

Barrichello’s intentions remain unclear, however, after publicly promising his wife he would avoid racing on American ovals. If Barrichello made a full-time IndyCar debut, he would not be the first in doing so at the age of 40. Nigel Mansell made the transition from F-1 to CART in 1993 at the same age.

Another option potentially available to the 300-some Grands Prix veteran models that of Sebastien Bourdais’s return to American open-wheel last year. In 2011, Bourdais ran a strict road courses-only schedule for Dale Coyne Racing.

More will be added as it becomes available.

3 IndyCar Stars Rendered Ride-less for Rolex 24

IndyCar stars Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay and E.J. Viso will be forced to merely spectate at this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. The three were set to drive the No. 2 Starworks Motorsports Ford-powered Daytona Prototype. Due to a last minute withdrawal of funding from the team’s sponsor, however, Starworks has pulled their entry from competition.

Team owner, Peter Baron, spoke to Speed.com about the situation. “The funding was supposed to come through for (the Rolex 24), we were waiting for as long as possible and holding out hope,” he said. Remorsefully, Baron continued, “but it all fell through at the last moment and we can’t funds things out of our own pocket.”

All three drivers took to Twitter to announce the disappointing news. “This will be the first time I have missed the 24hrs of Daytona since 2006! Good news is I’ll be back in the IndyCar Monday in Sebring,” announced Hunter-Reay. Kanaan mirrored that sentiment, “Guys, unfortunately I will not race at the Daytona 24H this Saturday. The funding that the Starworks Motorsports team had went away,” he said before bouncing back with optimism: “On the other hand, I will be testing my #11 KV Racing IndyCar on Monday again!”

After a tweet mentioned all three drivers, calling the team’s actions “classless” to pull their entry mere days prior to the event, Viso took to the team’s defense. “It has nothing to do with the team. They did all they where suppose to,” Viso proclaimed.

Baron, meanwhile, is left to figure out revisions to his other DP entry. As of this posting, that situation remains unclear. Baron did expect to release a statement to the press sometime Wednesday to explain the direction of the team for the Rolex 24.

Raikonnen Wraps Initial Lotus Test, Hamilton Declines Shanghai Court

Raikonnen Finishes First Test with Lotus: 2007 F-1 World Champion, Kimi Raikonnen, ended his two day test Valencia today following a two year hiatus. Raikkonen conducted the test in the 2010 Lotus-Renault fitted with Pirelli demonstration tires to conform to the current testing restrictions in Formula One. The test was merely focused on allowing to Raikonnen to get reacquainted with a F-1 car. The Finn acknowledged getting back up to full speed will take some time, “it takes a little bit of time to get used to it, but the main bits of driving – braking, turning, the normal things – it doesn’t take many laps,” he said to Sky Sports News. But, he added, “learning about the car, the team and the tires will take time.”

Hamilton Unable to Make Court Appearance: Speaking of Lotus, following the bar fight between team executive, Eric Lux, and Force India driver Adrian Sutil, a court date had been seen for Hamilton to give his eye witness testimony about the events of the evening. The date, however, immediately preempts the launch of McLaren’s 2012 car. Hamilton, as a result, is unable to make the January 30th court date. Court officials in Shanghai will allow Hamilton to excuse himself from providing testimony or may reschedule the hearing.

The Only Way Most of Us Live Our Dream: Video Games

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. With its arrival, comes the end of this horrible time for racing fans known as the off-season. I trust most racing fans are a lot like me in that their best way to cope with the downtime between seasons is to turn on the PS3 (or xBox, if you’re one of those), and have at it in a virtual racing world.

For me, I have been a PlayStation boy since its arrival some 15 years ago with only a few PC exceptions. So, for this piece, PS will assume the default medium. Also, with the longevity of a piece like this, it will be broken into multiple segments.

Every year around this time, I find myself wondering what game(s) drivers have in their personal collection, which provides the experience closest to reality. There is little out there that provides insight into this topic, thus why I decided to tackle it. With an interview request pending with Codemasters, the developers of all Formula One games for the past few years, I hope to gather a considerable amount of information on the topic to relay to anyone interested. For now, an examination at the evolution of racing video games must suffice.

For me, I first remember playing various IndyCar and Formula One games on the original Nintendo before the arrival of Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing for Super Nintendo. From there, it was IndyCar Racing 2 by Papyrus for PC. That game brought on my first bout with video game addiction. The time I spent, despite my youth and unfamiliarity with the technical aspects, learning every variable was a bit ridiculous. My brother thought he’d screw me up and cover my eyes during one lap. To his surprise, after learning the rhythm of the virtual Long Beach, I never made contact with the wall. I am still proud of that fete.

After IndyCar 2, PlayStation finally arrived. CART World Series was the initial game. The CART game came as close to reality as anything in its time. I always enjoyed it but I was heavily biased towards the game since it lacked Road America. Road America was/is my home track and much love remains for the venue. Luckily, Newman/Haas Racing’s video game provided the track but lost much of the realism that CART had.

Then the F-1 games came back to life. F-1 1998, I marveled at the graphics of rain hitting the screen. F-1 2000 brought back the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Hitting the track before drivers were able to was something a kid can get arrogant about.

In between all of the series specific games came Gran Turismo. The Gran Turismo series deserves an article to itself and for that premise will be largely left out here.

F-1 2000 marked the final PlayStation game I had purchased. Then came PlayStation 2. The graphics revolution that came with the new console sucked me in. I was addicted to F-1 2001. And then TOCA Race Car Driver 2 and 3. And then F1 Career Challenge where, for the first time, the player was immersed in the role of a F1 driver new to the series. Starting off at back-marking teams and slowly working the up the hierarchy of teams.

Then, came F1 2009 for the Wii. I reluctantly purchased a Wii simply for that reason. Shortly after my purchase, Codemasters announced the next F1 games for the foreseeable future were to be released primarily for PlayStation 3. So, as one would expect, I purchased a PS3.

So far, the PlayStation 3 has proved to be my best gaming purchase. The quality of graphics remains top-notch even in comparison to xBox 360′s.

The current gaming setup. Amidst a normal cloud of a baby toys sits Daddy's toy.

F1 2010 was the first video game purchased for the new console. That game now compliments the newly added F1 2011. Both games’ purchase led me to purchase my Logitech steering wheel. Ultimately, they will lead to a purchase of a PlaySeat. A PlaySeat is essentially a racing seat with the ability to mount a steering wheel and foot pedals to it. In other words, it is a racing fan’s dream personal arcade.

This evolution of gaming has led to in-home simulators. Games are getting closer and closer to allowing the gamer to enjoy a real-life experience from his home. Games like iRacing provide cutting edge realism, not only in the driving sense but also in the setup of a gamer’s race car. To find out just how real games are going to become and to see what goes into the development of current games, check back here for the next feature. (Provided the interview request is approved.)

Speed Records in 2013?

Speed records might not be broken in 2012 by the new, DW12 IndyCar Dallara. But 2013 might be a different story, according to IndyCar’s Vice President of Technology, Will Phillips in an interview with Autoweek.

During initial testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the DW12 never approached the speeds set in 2011– topping out at a measly 215 mph and some change. Through wind tunnel testing, engineers found a solution for the car to reach the same speeds seen in recent years at the Speedway.

In 2013, however, as the addition of aero kits come into play, Phillips expects speeds to steadily increase and old records broken. As the aero kits are added to the cars, “the car could be exceeding expectations as they reduce drag further,” Phillips said. Phillips went on to say it’s not just about the car being capable of reaching the speeds aerodynamically, but also mechanically. The drivers always have to find the appropriate balance between the two to reach maximum performance.

IndyCar fans have patiently awaited the utterance of “a new track record” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since Arie Luyendyk’s blistering lap of 237.498 mph during qualifying in 1996. Luyendyk also set an unofficial record that same year when he set a lap of 239.260 mph in practice for the Indianapolis 500.

Houston, Fort Lauderdale Among IndyCar’s Short List

In a recent interview with Autoweek, IndyCar head Randy Bernard commented on the future of IndyCar’s schedule. Keeping in line with much of the news surrounding additions to the 2012 schedule, Bernard discussed the Milwaukee Mile’s possible return as well as a race through the streets of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The interview with Autoweek was in advance of his Feb 13th “State of the Sport” speech and provided hints as to what the speech may entail. Bernard acknowledged Milwaukee’s return is possible but hangs on additional state and local financial support for the event in West Allis, Wisconsin.

He also recently met with officials from Disney in Orlando regarding a return to “the Mickyard,” the speedway at Walt Disney World where IndyCar held some of its first races. Bernard commented on the massive renovations needed there in order to accommodate an IndyCar return. Among them: the installation of SAFER barriers, and bleacher and asphalt maintenance.

Bernard neglected to go into detail about many of the projects currently under evaluation by IndyCar, but he did mention one other race that looks nearly certain to appear on the 2013 calendar: Houston. Champ Car fans remember the floodlit race through the streets of Houston, Texas promoted by Mike Lanigan. Lanigan promoted several Champ Car events and also went on to partner with Newman/Haas Racing and has since moved on to partner with Rahal-Letterman Racing to form Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan Racing. (Is that too many hyphens?)

Road America was surprisingly left out of the conversation as many expect it to appear on the 2013 schedule. The Baltimore Grand Prix, despite losing its promoter, looks solid. Bernard says he expects to pick a new promoter soon with the best interests of IndyCar and the Grand Prix in mind.

Bernard also touched on car counts for the season. 27 engine contracts have been signed for the season with a few pending. Once the others are secured, Bernard said, “you’re right there at 30.”

The final car counts will come to realization in just over two months as the IndyCar season opens on the streets of St. Petersburg on March 25th.

Milwaukee to Be Added to 2012 IndyCar Schedule?

IndyCar CEO, Randy Bernard, has publicly stated he would like to see a return of the legendary Milwaukee Mile to IndyCar’s 2012 schedule. The suggested date looks for a mid-June weekend. Traditionally, the Mile was always held immediately following the Indy 500.

Despite a possible date two weeks later than normal, one must wonder how much effective promoting of the event could be accomplished. The reasoning behind Milwaukee’s initial departure from the schedule was poor crowds resulting from poor promoting. So, would a last minute addition to the schedule lead to a permanent absence?

Other rumors surrounding the last minute addition of the famed 1-mile oval suggest its addition is a necessity after the mass exodus away from IndyCar’s 1.5-mile ovals following Dan Wheldon’s tragic death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Currently there are but four ovals slated for 2012: Indianapolis (2.5 miles), Texas (1.5 miles), Iowa (0.875 miles) and AutoClub Speedway (2 miles) in Fontana, CA.

One other reason for the Mile’s potential addition is to cover the typically IndyCar saturated Milwaukee-Chicago market. In the past, IndyCar has run events at both the Milwaukee Mile and Chicagoland Speedway. With neither currently on the schedule, IndyCar might look to hastily put an event in place to satisfy the demographic. The addition of Milwaukee might provide a temporary solution when, in 2013, IndyCar looks to plan a double-header weekend with ALMS at the fan-favorite Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.

Since the unification of American open-wheel racing in 2008, former Champ Car fans have eagerly awaited a race at the 4.048 mile track through the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Open-wheel’s loss of the track has led to NASCAR’s gain as the Nationwide series has raced there for the past two years.

If IndyCar returns to Road America, the track will be the only in America to host every major racing series in the country: AMA Superbikes, Grand-Am, NASCAR, ALMS, and IndyCar.

Will a permanent departure of the Milwaukee Mile lead to a permanent return of IndyCars to the flowing Road America circuit?

Peugeot Axes Sports Car Program; Bourdais Full-Time in IndyCar

In a surprise announcement, the French automaker Peugeot pulled the plug on their factory effort for the 2012 World Endurance Championship.

The iconic Lions will be absent on the 2012 24 of LeMans grid and all other events held by the World Endurance Championship. In their official announcement the marque said “Peugeot prefers to concentrate its 2012 resources on its commercial performance” as a result of a “challenging economic environment in Europe.” The car maker also cited the launch of several new vehicles this year as another factor in their decision.

Interestingly, Peugeot factory driver Sebastien Bourdais announced a surprise move to a full-time IndyCar ride with Jay Penske’s Lotus-powered Dragon Racing team. Bourdais had a part-time effort with Dale Coyne Racing in 2011 while competing in all of Peugeot’s International LeMans events.

Bourdais will partner with former DTM and fellow Champ Car driver, Katherine Legge. Legge plans to drive a TrueCar sponsored entry. Bourdais’s sponsorship is still pending.

Sebastien Bourdais last drove full-time in America in '07 with Newman/Haas Racing in the championship-winning McDonald's car.

 

 The switch to full-time in 2012 will mark the Frenchman’s return to full-time American open-wheel racing since 2007 when Bourdais won his fourth and final Champ Car championship driving for the now defunct Newman/Haas Racing team.