A medical update on Jules Bianchi

Maranello, 30 December – The parents of Jules Bianchi, Philippe and Christine, would like to provide the following information regarding Jules’ medical care.

A Statement from the Bianchi Family | 30 December

Nice, France

Tuesday 30 December 2014

18hrs CET

As we reach the conclusion of a difficult year for our family, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide a further update regarding Jules’ medical situation, per our pledge to communicate continued information, when appropriate, to his many fans.

It was a significant and very comforting step for us to be able to bring Jules home to France last month, to continue his rehabilitation surrounded by his family and friends. This is very important for Jules and also for us.

Since that time, Jules has received the very best treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU) and now at the CHU’s rehabilitation centre for this kind of trauma.

Jules’ neurological status remains unchanged; he is unconscious but able to breathe unaided. Whilst there is no significant information to report, we take a great deal of comfort from the fact that Jules continues to fight, as we knew he would, and this has enabled the medical professionals caring for him to commence the planned, but very painstaking, programme of rehabilitation therapy.

As we reflect on the events of the past few months, we would like to acknowledge once again the overwhelming warmth and affection shown towards our son. These continue to be challenging times for our family, but the knowledge that he has touched the lives of so many people all around the world has helped us through.

We would also like to acknowledge the respect and support shown by the media towards our family during this time, for which we are extremely grateful.

We will continue to provide information when it is possible to do so and our sincere appreciation to everyone who continues to pray for Jules.

*Source-formula1.ferrari.com

F1 : The Driver's Numbers for 2015

The 18 drivers who will be racing with when the 2015 F1 season gets underway in Australia have confirmed their car numbers. The reigning world champion has the option of adopting the number one or continuing to use his career number. But Hamilton has opted to continue with his number 44.

Mercedes 

Lewis Hamilton - 44

Nico Rosberg - 6

 Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo - 3

Daniil Kvyat - 26

Williams

Valteri Bottas - 77

Felipe Massa - 19

Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel - 5 

Kimi Raikkonen - 7

McLaren

Fernando Alonso - 14

Jenson Button - 22

Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - 27

Sergio Perez - 11

Toro Rosso

Max Verstappen  - 33

Carlos Sainz Jr. - 55

Lotus

Romain Grosjean - 8

Pastor Maldonado - 13

Sauber

Marcus Ericsson - 9

Felipe Nasr - 12

F1 : Updated F1 calendar announced, Korean GP gets the boot

Korean GP, which was a surprise addition to the 2015 F1 schedule during the World Motorsport Council meeting has now been removed. But the important part of the story is that the updated calendar still says '21 competitions'.

Take a look HERE

2015 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

15/03 Australia
29/03 Malaysia
12/04 China
19/04 Bahrain
10/05 Spain
24/05 Monaco
07/06 Canada
21/06 Austria
05/07 Britain
19/07 Germany
26/07 Hungary
23/08 Belgium
06/09 Italy
20/09 Singapore
27/09 Japan
11/10 Russia
25/10 USA
01/11 Mexico
15/11 Brazil
29/11 Abu Dhabi

Audi A3 & S3 score 5 stars in US NCAP tests

 2015 Audi A3 Sedan

Audi S3 Saloon

The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) used by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) is a very important step for any new model looking to be successful on the American market. The A3 sedan is the only European premium compact model that received the full 5 stars from the NHTSA. 

The A3 and S3 offer multiple advanced technology features such as Audi Pre Sense Basic System which helps detect when an emergency maneuver is being made and prepares the vehicle and its occupants restraint systems for a possible collision. This system is part of Audi's optional Advanced Technology Package which also comes with Audi Active Lane Aassist and Audi Adaptive Cruise Control with stop & go.

The secondary collision brake assist, a system that automatically brakes the car after a collision so as to prevent another one taking place in nearby or oncoming traffic should the driver be incapacitated.

WRC : Ogier tests Volkswagen Polo R WRC for Rallye Monte-Carlo 2015

SEBASTIEN OGIER TESTING VOLKSWAGEN POLO R WRC FOR RALLYE MONTE-CARLO 2015

Ogier tests the new Polo R WRC for the 2015 season

Watch Sebastien Ogier testing Volkswagen Polo R WRC for WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2015.

Mansory La Revoluzione

The epitome of the automotive style is for many the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. Kourosh Mansory accepts the model as a basis for his work - and nothing more. The head of the exclusive refiners named after him has taken the Gran Turismo as the basis for his completely individually-developed Über-sports car, that can only bear one name: La Revoluzione.

There is no doubt about the revolutionary effect of this project; Ferrari is as synonymous with sports cars as no other make, both on and off the track. Now MANSORY has toppled the Italian from its throne and torn up the existing conditions rule-book.

The manufacturer was not content with a patchwork approach, they didn't even try to optimize the aerodynamics of the F12, but completely stripped down the car and developed a completely new skin.

Only carbon fibre from their own autoclaves met MANSORY's requirements

The choice of the material should not come as a surprise to anyone: carbon fibre combines strength and lowest mass like no other material. MANSORY recognised this much earlier than many others on the market and over the years has developed an outstanding expertise. In in-house autoclaves MANSORY does not entrust development nor production to a supplier. Only the company's own engineers have the highest levels of know how that Kourosh Mansory calls for.

So this is how a vehicle shell emerged that is not equalled by any other super sports car. The self-confidently designed front with the inverse formula one nose, the wide variety of inlets and outlets of the air guidance system for engine supply and cooling of the braking system and the striking rear end with the double-walled exhaust tailpipes on both sides are just some aspects of a consistently exciting bodywork design.

MANSORY also developed the wheels specifically for this vehicle. With five triple spokes the rims with its open design grants a view of the perforated brake discs with 398 mm diameter on the front and 360 millimetres on the rear axle. The contact with the road is taken over by Pirelli Ultra High Performance tyres, which on the 9x21 inch front wheels have size 255/30 tyres and on the drive axle reside on 12x22 inches wheels with size 335/25 tyres.

No surprise then that MANSORY also sets new standards with the performance figures of the twelve-cylinder engine. The engineering department has therefore developed new software for the central control unit, installed a new larger turbocharger and designed the whole exhaust system for minimal back pressure. The bi-turbo engine now reaches a peak of an incredible 1200 hp (882 kW) and a maximum torque of 890 newton metres. In the record time of only 2.9 seconds La Revoluzione rockets from a standstill to 100 km/h. Anyone who is brave enough to keep the accelerator pressed down reaches the maximum speed of 370 km/h.

Even the interior has been completely re-developed by MANSORY

The interior is equal in every way to the transformation of the outer skin and the vehicle as a whole. Once again, carbon fibre is the material of choice, but it is precisely designed to transform the interior into reality in accordance with the company boss's vision. In addition, there is also the extravagant use of finest cowhide leather and Alcantara. Of course the colour scheme exactly matches the vehicle shell and is kept uncompromising in the colour of the revolution: red.

In spite of this complete revamp, the Ferrari can still be glimpsed under the carbon mantle of La Revoluzione. This demonstrates the experience and with what skill MANSORY understands how to take the characteristic lines of the F12 and, at the same time to unveil a completely self-contained form language.

Why is this dream car not a Ferrari, but rather a MANSORY? The answer is clear: this courage is not displayed by a conventional car manufacturer with group affiliation. This requires the boldness and the reputation of someone such as Kourosh Mansory, who has built up a unique reputation through years of dedication and attention to detail - this is his jewel in the crown.

*Source- www.mansory.com

F1 : Buemi retains reserve driver role at Red Bull

World Endurance Champion Sebastien Buemi will remain the Red Bull Formula 1 team's reserve driver in 2015.

Buemi, 26, started 55 grands prix for Toro Rosso between 2009 until 2011 before resuming reserve driver duties for Red Bull when he and STR team-mate Jaime Alguersuari lost their 

F1 race drives to Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Buemi had since become an invaluable part of his F1 squad's set-up.

The Swiss dovetailed his 2014 F1 reserve duties with a victorious WEC campaign for Toyota alongside British racer Anthony Davidson, and is also currently contesting the inaugural Formula E championship, in which he lies second for the e.dams squad after the first three races.

Buemi said he was looking forward to helping Red Bull attempt to recover from losing its world champion status to Mercedes this year.

"It is like being part of the family and I have a good working and personal relationship with everyone at the team," he said.

"I'm looking forward to helping with the development of the RB11 in any way I can.

"It should be an exciting season and I'm delighted that I will be a part of it."

Haas F1 acquires Marussia factory

According to Racecar Engineering, Gene Haas recently noted he was interested in participating in the Marussia F1 auction, which saw many of the crumbling team's assets sold off to the highest bidders. However, their Banbury factory was not part of the aforementioned auction.

Gene Haas has bought the facility and will use it as his European base with the team's headquarters being developed in North Carolina. With Ferrari power, Haas F1 will join the grid in 2016 with a TBD driver lineup.

The report also added that it is believed Haas also has access to data and designs for Marussia's planned 2015 car.

*Source- motorsport.com

Honda files patent for Steer by Wire system

Honda is developing a fixed position steering wheel that senses the driver’s hands sliding rather than rotating to change the vehicle’s direction.

The wheel uses piezoelectric sensors to monitor pressure and movement as the driver’s grip and slide across its surface. The system interprets those movements and translates them into steering directions that turn the front wheels. Honda filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on December 11. In the filing, Honda cites reduced vehicle weight and simplified component packaging as some of the potential reasons it is developing the technology. Honda representatives did not respond to a request for comments on the patent filing. 

But Honda isn’t the first automaker to tinker with steer-by-wire systems. The Infiniti Q50 currently uses one, though Nissan’s luxury brand still implements a rotating steering wheel.

Systems that don’t rely on traditional rack-and-pinion designs for turning allow vehicle engineers a greater degree of freedom in where they place vehicle components within a car. Systems like what Q50 uses and what Honda is developing will also play a significant role in large scale adoption of autonomous (self-driving) cars. Infiniti currently offers one of the automotive industry’s most advanced adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems that is capable of semi-autonomous highway driving.

Honda’s application also said in its filing that the fixed wheel could sit at an offset to its axis, reducing the likelihood that the driver’s view of the gauge cluster would be obstructed.

Audi recruit adds fuel to F1 rumors

Audi appears to be taking more steps towards a potential F1 entrance in the near future.

Now, it emerges that former Honda, Brawn, BMW and Williams technical chief Jorg Zander will start work as Audi Sport's new head of technology on Jan. 1.

Volkswagen's brands, however, have consistently played down speculation of a F1 project, and Bernie Ecclestone said earlier this month that he thinks a foray is unlikely.

Rumours of a project were fuelled recently when ousted Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali resurfaced at the German carmaker, where the Italian is reportedly conducting a feasibility study into a turbo V6 design for the VW-owned brand.

The former Ferrari Formula One team principal Stefano Domenicali has no experience of Le Mans-style sports cars, has no experience of touring car racing and does not even speak German. The sources are insistent that Formula One is only possible reason why Audi, which is the successor of the legendary pre-war Auto Union brand and carries its four-ringed badge, would have just hired the Italian, even under the temporary pretense of a non-racing role. 

Chevrolet Chapparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo Concept

Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Tursimo (VGT) concept is a revolutionary interpretation of the ultimate race car, developed exclusively for fans of the PlayStation^® 3 racing game, Gran Turismo^® 6.

Developed as part of the Vision Gran Turismo project, which celebrates the future of automotive design and innovation, the Chaparral 2X VGT concept is inspired by the innovative race cars Chaparral Racing and Chevrolet partnered on more than 45 years ago.

The Chevrolet Chaparral 2X VGT channels that spirit of innovation into a vision of what the future of racing could hold, with a radical form and an advanced, laser-based propulsion system.

“It was created in a no-rules atmosphere to challenge designers and test engineers to deliver the most exhilarating sensations. This is a fantasy car by design,” said Frank Saucedo, who oversaw the team that worked on the concept. “Like the original Chaparral race cars decades ago, the Chaparral 2X VGT weaves advanced aerospace technologies into the design to help achieve its performance goals.”

The Chaparral 2X VGT’s concept propulsion system is inspired by technology derived from advanced work targeted at space travel and future aircraft design. It features a mid-mounted laser beamed-energy propulsion system, which pulses beams of light that focus in a shroud, creating shock waves that generate tremendous thrust in the lightweight race car.

With a 671-kW laser, powered by a pack of lithium-ion batteries, and an air-powered generator to provide 900 horsepower worth of thrust, the Chaparral 2X VGT will be capable of a 240-mph top speed in the video game with 0-60 acceleration capability of 1.5 seconds.

The propulsion system’s position in the composite chassis complements an unconventional yet highly active prone driver configuration – face down with the driver’s arms and legs splayed toward the wheels. In fact, the race car’s propulsion and suspension systems are built around the driver, enabling progressive strategies of active and driver-adjustable aerodynamics.

“Think of it as adapting a wing suit to a racing car, where the driver’s movements control certain aspects of the aero package,” said Saucedo. “In many ways, the Chaparral 2X VGT is like racing wing suit, with a protective fuselage for ‘flying’ very low to the ground.” 

The driver-enabled aerodynamics eliminate the need for large, conventional wings and other aero devices used to generate grip-enhancing downforce – an attribute that helps reduce the overall mass of the Chaparral 2X VGT’s minimalist structure. Only essential elements are on board, with instrumentation, for example, projected on the driver’s helmet visor.

Additionally, lightweight chassis components reduce the sprung weight of the race car, enabling the car to provide tremendous cornering grip with a relatively small footprint. It rolls on 17-inch front wheels wrapped with racing tires.

“The Chaparral 2X VGT is a vision of how advanced technology may shape the look and driving experience of racing,” said Saucedo. “Chaparral’s race cars and methods were seen as outlandish four decades ago, and with the innovative spirit still burning at Chevrolet, the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept might just be a harbinger of motorsports in the next four decades.”

Other manufacturers have developed concept race cars for the Vision Gran Turismo project, but Chevrolet is one of the few to transfer it from the digital world to a physical concept vehicle.

Hankook unveils three new future tire concepts

Hankook works closely with a chosen university every two years to produce these stunning concepts. This year, Hankook teamed up with the University of Design, Engineering and Business in Pforzheim, Germany to create the concept tires, meant to reflect the brand’s research and development initiatives going forward.

Hankook revealed three concepts of wheels that are capable of changing their shapes dynamically, altering their performance through rapid changes in terrain and conditions. The 

“Boostrac” tire is essentially a dune buggy-type wheel made up of hexagonal tread blocks that can expand, changing up the traction to plow through sand or scale a steep mountain path.

“Alpike” is the tire that can expand its circumference, making driving through snow much easier. When the tire expands, the gaps in the tread and exposed studs grip icy surfaces better, as well. 

Lastly, the “HyBlade” has a water-wheel-like design and pop-out fins to paddle through water like a riverboat.

The notion of rubber-and-air tires is constantly being challenged by new innovations, and the concept of a dynamically adaptive tire system is an in invention just waiting to be made. It’s likely that, if a company like Hankook can make this technology applicable, we may be the generation that sees the reinvention of the wheel.

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003 2015

The Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003 promises to be an entirely new type of car. It's a lightweight, modular race and road car that could redefine how we look at modern race cars. 

 Not only is he making a Le Mans car for the street that can go from road car to race car, he's shared his latest plans for the engine and chassis design in our comments. And that includes a modular architecture that can swap between a twin-turbo V6 and a twin-turbo V12.

Glickenhaus' plans to drive the SCG 003 to Le Mans, convert it, race it, then swap it back into a road car before catching a bite in Paris, he's disclosed what power plants he envisions for both legs.

The road legal SCG 003 will use a twin-turbocharged V12 with a street-worthy gearbox. When the time comes to race, that will be swapped out with a twin-turbo'd V6.

Glickenhaus says "We are offering pure road and pure race versions, as well as separate road-to-race and race-to-road conversion kits. The car is strong enough and modular so that the race roll cage can be unbolted and the race wing, race seats, race splitter, and race diffuser can easily be swapped back and forth as desired with road seats, a road wing, and road diffuser. The road version still has front and rear roll hoops."

When a forum member asked about the specific plans, Glickenhaus responded:

That's exactly what we hope to do in 2016. We'll set off from our factory in Turin with SCG 003 in road-legal configuration and drive her to Le Mans. Hopefully along the way, car clubs will escort us. In the pits, we will convert her to the race version and compete in the 24 Hours. At the race's conclusion, we'll reconvert her to road-legal condition and drive to Paris for dinner. We hope to do this at several other major endurance races as well, like NY to Daytona. For that, we may need to fit snow tires. 

Both Le Mans and Daytona have let the DeltaWing race. Why not us? 

McLaren's Porsche 911 rival...Check it out...

McLaren's P13 Sports Series is edging ever closer to its debut in the second quarter of 2015. 

Part of the Sports Series range, the coupe we spied testing is likely to first appear at the New York Motor Show in April. Spider convertible and track focused versions of the sub-650S model code-named P13 are likely to follow in its footsteps.

McLaren has now confirmed that its latest model, previously referred to only by its internal codename ‘P13’, will be known as the McLaren Sports Series,' it said. 'It will join the range below the 650S, bringing McLaren credentials and exclusivity to the sportscar segment for the first time.’

A detuned version of McLaren’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 with upwards of 450bhp will provide power. The carbon chassis shared with both of its bigger brothers should also make the Sport Series the lightest in its class.

It uses the same carbonfibre MonoCell as the bigger 650S family - and essentially the same 3.8-litre V8, although detuned for its more lowly merely-got-to-beat-a-911-Turbo status.

This is more of a daily driver, and McLaren has consequently made the sills slimmer to ease access, the cabin is roomier and there’s more luggage space too.

The nose has been crafted with the same contoured bonnet, as too have the muscular haunches and gaping door vents. Unlike the P1 and 650S, however, the exhausts have been moved to the lower section of the rear bumper.